Nine to Life
by Apoc326
Summary: Now that Soul and Maka have realized their feelings for one another, they have to deal with the consequences of their new relationship, including: pregnancy, fatherhood, motherhood, hormones and making it all work. Sequel to "Your Guardian Soul".
1. The Morning After

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

**This is a sequel to "Your Guardian Soul". While it isn't absolutely imperative that you read that first, I do strongly recommend it.**

**It's been a minute, but I finally got the first chapter of this sequel done and the story as a whole underway. I hope you enjoy it.  
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**LinKura: My deepest and most profound thanks for proofing this chapter for me. And I'm sorry for making you like SoulxMaka.  
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_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 1: "The Morning After"**

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><p><em>Soul held Maka as he climaxed shortly after her. <em>

_His seed, his very essence, a veritable part of his soul, entered her accepting warmth. _

_She cried his name in ecstasy._

_Suddenly he's sitting in a private hospital room. _

_He's holding a newborn child, one hand beneath her bottom, the other on the back of her head, holding her vertical._

_A girl._

_"My daughter." he says aloud in wonder, hardly believing it._

_The baby stares at her father, blue eyes filled with curiosity and wonder at this new world._

_He softly strokes the white, wispy hair on her head with his thumb._

_"Our daughter." A voice corrects him from the nearby hospital bed._

_Soul looks up and beholds a tired Maka._

_She smiles exhaustedly at her husband holding their child._

Husband? _Soul thinks to himself with a satisfied smile._

_Sweat still sheens her brow from the exertion of the birth._

_Soul repositions the newborn, holding her in the crook of his left arm, he reaches to his wife with his free hand._

Wife._ He thinks with a possessive smile._

_She takes it weakly and offers a squeeze._

_"We did it." They whisper in unison._

_"I love you, Maka."_

_"I love you too."_

_The lights begin to brighten and a white haze fills the room. All that remains for an instant before being swallowed by the growing brightness is Maka's exhausted, happy face._

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><p>Soul opens his eyes slowly and looks at the ceiling. He's in Maka's room, he knows. The pink walls give that away.<p>

Early morning light filters in through the semi-transparent curtains that cover the window. _So _that's _how she always wakes up early, she uses the damned sun..._ Soul thinks with a smirk.

Soul becomes dimly aware of a warm, wet sensation on his nethers. _That's new._ He lifts his head slightly, looking to his groin.

Instead of the usual sight of morning wood tenting his boxers, he sees the top of a familiar head covered in platinum blonde hair. The only difference from normal is that the hair is not in the usual child-like pigtails that he's come to adore over the years.

Sensing that her partner, weapon and lover is awake, Maka opens her eyes and looks up, locking her eyes with Soul. She removes her mouth from his still very erect cock with a _pop_ and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She says, honey dripping from her words. _And lust, don't forget the lust._ Soul thinks to himself.

"Mornin'" Soul grumbles, his relaxed vocal chords deepen his voice a few octaves. "That's one hella cool way to wake a guy up, babe." He adds with a toothy grin.

Maka's face flushes from his deeper voice. That was something she had never experienced, hearing Soul immediately after he awakens.

She smiles up at him, and crawls up his body, both of them still naked after their lovemaking the previous night. She comes level with his face, cups his left cheek in her hand and kisses him tenderly.

He returns the kiss. _You know, this _should _bother me, given where her mouth just was..._

Maka breaks the kiss and looks at him sweetly. They stare into the other's eyes for a long moment. Nothing is said nor is it expected to be said.

Soul is thrown into confusion as tears pool in Maka's eyes. He lips begin to quiver slightly and then the tears come. She places her head on his chest as he wraps his powerful arms around her in an embrace.

"What's wrong?" he asks softly, completely lost.

"I... I'm just so happy." She says, looking up at him with a weak smile. "I never thought that this would happen, that I would fall in love with anyone. I hadn't even dared to hope for someone like you Soul." She nestles her tear-streaked face in the hollow of his neck.

"What do you mean, 'someone like me'?" he asks, still confused as to where all this had come from.

"Someone that I can trust completely. Someone who I can depend on completely." She speaks into his neck, the vibrations having a profound effect upon the sensitive flesh. She looks up into his eyes again. "Someone I'd have a child with."

Confusion gives way to a smile now. "We don't know that you _did_ get pregnant last night. It could have just been a wish we both share."

Maka looks away embarrassed. "I know." She says almost defensively with a blush. "But..." She trails off.

Soul uses his hand to turn her head gently so she's looking at him. "'But' what?"

Maka's blush deepens. "But... I really would like to have a baby with you." She says, almost pouting.

Soul's face becomes blank, completely unreadable, his eyes unfocused as he recalls his dream from a few moments ago. _It all seemed so _real_,_ He thinks. _as if it was promised to us._

"Soul?" Maka asks, concerned.

He shakes himself mentally from his thoughts and kisses her deeply. "Me too." He says as he breaks the kiss, looking at Maka's face, her eyes half-closed. She stares at him expectantly.

"So... Why don't we make _sure_." Maka squeaks in surprise as he suddenly flips their positions, he on top, her on bottom.

Maka stares at Soul, disbelieving. "Really? You want to do this?" She asks in near shock.

Soul smiles at his meister. "Only if you want to, babe." He leans forward and kisses her softly and pulls away, waiting for her decision.

Maka looks deep into her lover's eyes for a long moment. Inside her mind a war rages between her emotional and logical sides:

_I want this so badly..._

_You may want it, but can you handle it?_

_I don't know. I just want this. More than words can define. I want to be a part of Soul, I want a part of him to be a part of me, I want to bring a whole new soul into this world with him._

_Are you even listening to yourself? You have no job, you're still in school, you even turned down Lord Death's offer to let you and Soul graduate early when Soul became a Death Scythe. You did that on a whim of emotion and you kick yourself for it every time you see Soul cramming for an exam he chose to take because you wanted to stay in school. _[1]

_If we had graduated early, we'd never see Kid, Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz or Patty! Those people mean so much to me that I can't bear not to see them..._

_So you made a decision for sentimental reasons. You regularly kick yourself for it and you want to make another decision knowing full well you'll regret it every time you're woken up at 2 a.m. to change a diaper._

_But that's different-!_

_No. It's not. The stakes are higher with this. You'll be holding a defenseless life in your hands. Can you handle it? Can you?_

_No._

_See? Sometimes listening to reason can-_

We_ can handle it! I won't be alone in this! Soul and I can do this! I know it! Now just shut up!_

_Very well. One last question though: How will your father take it? Think about that one._

Before Maka can think of a response she is pulled from her inner battle. "Maka? You ok?" Soul asks, concern written across his face. _Maybe she doesn't want a kid with me yet after all..._

Maka reaches up to Soul's face with both hands and pulls him into a deep kiss, very reminiscent of the one from last night that told Soul that she needed him completely. With that kiss, Soul knows that both he and Maka want this more than anything.

Soul smiles as he slides his hand down Maka's body, caressing her breasts and pausing momentarily over her flat stomach. Maka giggles as he does so.

Soul's hand continues its journey down the immaculate body of his meister until it reaches her womanhood. He is momentarily shocked at how wet she is. Apparently she had been ready to go before she even woke him up.

Knowing that she is ready for him, and has been for a while now, Soul decides that he wants to play with her a bit. He slides a single digit inside his meister, earning a slight moan of pleasure from her. He wiggles his finger around in her, making certain to hit her g-spot again and again.

Maka begins to moan louder and louder, breathing in short pants and gasps as his skilled pianist finger, now joined by a companion, play along the length of her burning hot pussy.

Finally a third finger enters her and Soul loves the sounds she's making. Her walls begin to contract around his fingers more often and harder than before. He knows he's close and continues to rub inside her, using his dexterous fingers to do things that Maka had never dreamed of inside her.

With a thrust timed perfectly with her gently bucking hips, Soul sends Maka over the edge of pleasure. He walls clamp down on his embedded fingers.

Something is different this time from all the others though, Soul notices. A flood of liquid covers his hand. With one last drag of his digits over her g-spot, Soul sends Maka into another convulsing fit of ecstasy and removes his fingers from her.

Soul holds up his hand, slightly puzzled and then smiles. His hand is covered in a mixture of Maka's juices and his own essence from the night before. He holds up his hand for Maka to see once her body-wracking orgasms subside.

Maka reaches out for his hand, a look of longing and need on her face. Soul complies, following his hand up to Maka's face. As before, she takes his fingers, one by one, into her mouth and sucks them clean. She even goes as far as licking the palm of his hand to get all of the liquid.

She licks her lips as demurely as possible. "So _that's_ what you taste like." She smiles devilishly.

Soul is stunned momentarily, his coolness leaving him. It returns just in time. "Seems that we'll have to put some more inside you." he says with an equally devilish grin. Maka returns the grin as best she can without pointed teeth and giggles in anticipation.

Kneeling, Soul positions his member above Maka's glistening entrance. Using a free hand, he steadies himself and slides inside of his lover, groaning at the sensation. Maka moans softly at his return.

"Oh God. I will _never_ get tired of that." She says between pants. She smiles sweetly and immediately wraps her legs around Soul's lower back, locking him into her.

"I think I can get used to this." Soul grunts, buried to the hilt inside his meister.

He begins to slowly slide out of Maka, his cock stimulating Maka's every crease, crevice and fold. She moans softly, sliding herself closer to Soul trying to force him back inside her. Maka's attempt is cut short when Soul gently grabs her hips and stops her slide towards him, keeping himself firmly in control.

Maka whimpers in protest as Soul nearly pulls himself from her and cries out his name when he slides back home with surprising force. The head of Soul's cock gently bumps against her womb, still partially filled with his seed from the night before. A new wave of pleasure rocks her being and chokes her shout.

Soul feels her walls contract on him, attempting to hold him inside as he fights to remove himself and repeat the motion. _She's so damned _tight.

Soul grunts and fights off the urge to cum so soon. Maka's body is reacting entirely different from last night and Soul can't understand it. It's as if knowing that their purpose is to conceive is forcing her body to attempt to wring him dry, and fast.

Maka continues to pant and whimper with his every motion, as though she's trying to hide her moans in embarrassment. Timing a thrust to coincide with his motion, Soul leans down and kisses Maka deeply as she lets loose a throaty moan.

Grinning as much as he can while kissing her, Soul wraps his arms around his lover and returns to his kneeling position. With a squeak of surprise, Maka finds herself resting on his lap, impaled upon his manhood. _Impaled might be the right word... God she's so tiny._ Soul marvels at how light and small she seems wrapped in his arms.

Maka wraps her arms around Soul, her hands spread over his muscular back, her head resting in the nape of his neck.

Soul moves his hands down to cup Maka's shapely ass and uses their position to control her movement. His lifts and lowers her, sliding into and then out of her, at an increasing pace.

In some perverted way, it's as though he's wielding her rather than the other way around. Maka smiles to herself at the change from the norm.

Their pace is rapid now. Soul is fairly slamming Maka down onto himself as she cries out his name interspersed with expletives that he has rarely heard from her. He's close to his orgasm, and so is she. It feels that though her walls are coiling around him continually, urging him to orgasm as soon as possible.

He holds on. Barely. He wants them to climax together. He can sense that Maka has the same desire and has every intention of fulfilling her desire.

With a groan of effort, Soul drops Maka fully onto himself, reaching as deeply as anatomy allows. Maka goes tumbling over into a world of absolute bliss. She's not alone as Soul is falling with her, emptying himself deeply inside her for the second time.

Time seems to stop. Once again, the vision of Soul sitting next to Maka in the hospital cradling their daughter flashes before the two lovers. The image is more clear and vivid this time, as if it were a picture taken in the highest resolution known to man and seared into their minds. It lasts longer this time and fades slowly to a blinding white ecstasy.

Maka screams at the sensation, no longer even attempting to hide her pleasure. She feels a flood of hot liquid inside of her. She clamps her lips to Soul's in a deep and passionate kiss. Their tongues wrestle with one another, with no real goal or purpose other than to deepen their physical contact.

Soul seems to take forever in his orgasm. She feels beyond full now, as though he's emptied more than just his essence inside of her. It feels to her as if he has left a part of himself within her for her to have forever.

Finally Maka breaks the kiss, panting as though she just ran a marathon. She looks deeply into Soul's eyes. "Goddamn do I love you." She says breathlessly.

Soul pecks her lips in response. "I won't ever leave you Maka. Come whatever may, I will always love you." He looks into her deep emerald eyes, all pretense of coolness gone, Soul has completely bared himself to her. "Forever." He adds and punctuates the promise with another peck.

Soul lays Maka back down on the bed and releases his arms from behind her, supporting himself on his forearms. Her legs remain locked behind the small of his back, refusing to let go.

After a long while of kissing softly and whispering their devotion to one another, Maka finally releases her death lock on her lover. Soul pulls his now soft member from her, a mewl of loss escapes her lips as he does so, and lays down next to her. They lace their fingers together and lay in happy silence for a while.

Sleep begins to take them again. The exertion, physical and emotional, have taken a toll. A nap can't hurt. After all, they are excused from classes "for as long as they need" so they don't need to go to school, and it's not like they get much from their lectures anyways.

As Soul begins to drift off, he hears Maka chuckle softly to herself. He cracks one crimson eye and looks at her. "What's up?"

"I was just expecting a Black Star Interruption again. Looks like it won't happen." She says, eyes closed and a faint smile on her lips.

Soul closes his eye. "Just give him a minute. He's got great timing."

"Bullshit." Was her even response.

Soul was starting to like the new Maka. She was a bit less stuck up and proper. Not that it mattered, he'd love her no matter what happened. _Unless she becomes a yandere. In which case we have a serious problem in the form of a psycho who wields bladed weapons regularly..._ He began to drift off to sleep again.

Soul's phone rings in his bedroom. Even in Maka's room he can hear the ringtone Black Star had made for him, consisting entirely of Black Star singing his own name and then insisted that he uses.

"_There _it is." He says in a rare sing-song voice. His triumphant smile discernable in his voice.

Maka rolls onto her side. "Ignore it." She mumbles.

"He'll keep calling." Soul says as he gets up and leaves the room for a moment.

Maka finds herself feeling terribly alone, as though she'll never feel his presence again. Over their soul link, she sees that Soul feels the same way and that he'll be back as soon as possible.

Several _thunks_ and the sound of a plastic cover being removed are heard and then Soul returns to the bed.

"What'd you do?" Maka asks, still not opening her eyes as she feels Soul embrace her from behind.

"Pulled the batteries from our phones and unplugged the home phone. He won't be bugging us much today."

"Won't he come here?"

"After yesterday? Doubt it."

"Good point."

Soul nuzzles Maka's neck and sighs contentedly. "Just don't mention to everyone how uncool I am around you."

"Ok." She mumbles, nearly asleep.

Soul kisses her neck softly. "Love you, Maka."

"-ou too Soul..." is her reply.

Soul smiles to himself. _Life is good._

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><p><strong>[1] Ok, I saw this in someone's story a while ago, but for the life of me, I can't remember the author or story title. If anyone knows, please tell me so I can give credit where it's due. I don't know if this is canon, or if Soul does become a Death Scythe because I haven't caught up in the manga. But it <em>does<em> stand to reason that if a meister/weapon pair were to achieve the level of Death Scythe that they have all the practical knowledge needed and would be allowed to graduate early.**

**A/N: Well, here is the long awaited (not so long and hopefully awaited, at least) sequel to "Your Guardian Soul".**** I was actually surprised**** at how quickly this chapter went, but then again, it is about a third of the length of YGS and I'm not entirely in trailblazing territory now. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this and that it is something like what you were asking for when you said "maeke anuther cahp plz!". Like when asking God for something, if you want something specific, ask, otherwise you'll get whatever I'm in the mood to do. That said, I hope that this does live up to and surpass expectations.**

**This chapter was a bit short, and its a bit lighter on the lemon content than YGS, but hey, this is an actual story and not just a story written as a smutty one-shot, so the content will shift a bit. Honestly, this chapter is a bit short on content period if you don't count lemony goodness, but it was sadly necessary to bolster the premise and lay groundwork for later chapters.**

**Anyways, thanks a lot for reading everyone. If you enjoy something in this chapter, please let me know, if not, I'd still like to know. I can't grow as a writer unless I get coherent feedback that isn't just saying that it was good.  
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><p><strong><em>Interesting Statistics for "Your Guardian Soul" as of 11:00 p.m. (EST) 97/11:_**

**_Hits: 1,495_**

**_Visitors: 1,195_**

**_Countries represented: 39_**

**_I included these because my ego demands it and because I'm seriously shocked that I got that many people to look at what I wrote and not flame me to hell and back.  
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	2. Life as Normal?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**_**  
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_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 2: "Life as Normal?"**

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><p>Maka's eyes slammed open so fast that they nearly broke the sound barrier. Her face is a mask of terror. Her eyes slowly rotated in their sockets, looking over Soul's slowly rising and falling chest, to the alarm clock. The numerals blazed red, as if angry at her, 6:45 a.m.<p>

She blinked one and then twice, willing the time to be earlier.

"Soul? Soul!" Maka cried, shaking her slumbering weapon.

"Nha?" Was his grumbled reply as he opened one eye, looking at her.

"We're late for class!" She explained, indelicately climbing over him.

A loud_ Oomph!_escaped him as her elbow hit his stomach in her haste. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "So? We've got all the time off that we need."

"But I'm fine now! We can't miss too much class, we have an exam coming up!"

Soul sighed. _So much for a day or two to relax and fool around._ He opened his eyes and look up at the ceiling as she rummaged through her dresser, looking for the right pair of panties and a matching bra.

Soul looked over as she attempted to put on the panties she chose. He began to speak but froze before he could even begin. The light filtered through the semi-transparent curtains and lit her in a way that made her seem like an angel. The angelic image was tainted slightly by the stream of his seed oozing out of her and down her thigh. She looked at him and tracked his eyes and looked down.

"Shit..." she breathed. "I need a shower." Her hand absently found its way to the offending fluid and wiped it up with her fingers. She licked her fingers clean looking thoughtful. "There's no time though..."

Soul smiled, regaining his cool composure. "We _can_ be a little late, you know."

Maka looked at her weapon and noticed a slight tenting of her sheets over his groin. "Right. But we'll have to take one together, no sexy stuff." She leaned down and kissed him. "Still tastes good, by the way."

Ignoring the sounds of mild disgust at tasting their mixed juices on her lips, Maka dragged Soul into the bathroom and turned the shower on. When the water was warm enough, she bodily shoved Soul into the shower and began to rinse the smell of sex off of her.

_Showering together is _not_ as romantic as they say._ Soul thought to himself. _Or practical._ he added with a grimace, fighting Maka for water spraying from the shower head.

Maka won that particular battle by unhooking the head from the track in the wall and rinsing off her hair. Instead of handing it to Soul as he had expected, she moved the head to her womanhood and began to spray the water inside of herself.

"I thought you said no sexy stuff?" He asked confused as her slim frame shuddered slightly under the water's assault.

"If you can think of a better way to get your jizz out of me, speak up." She said as she placed the showerhead in his stunned hand and got out, immediately drying herself off.

"Did you just say 'jizz'?"

"Yeah, what about it?" She said, absently as she wrapped the towel around her shapely legs and began to dry them.

"Just never expected to hear you say that."

"I never expected to do a lot of the things that I've done in the last twenty-four hours." She said with a sweet smile.

Soul smiled and nodded then went back to rinsing the shampoo from his hair. Maka gulped hard as she looked up to see the suds being washed down his magnificent body.

_No! Bad Maka! No sexy thoughts or we won't get to school!_ She chided herself as she shook her head to clear the thoughts running through her mind.

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><p>Soul's motorcycle thundered down the waking streets of Death city.<p>

Clinging to Soul's back, Maka looked through the visor of her helmet at her watch. _7:05. We're late, but not too late. We won't miss much beyond morning announcements and roll call._ She thought with a triumphant smile.

Maka jumped off the bike as soon as Soul killed the engine. She tossed helmet at him and took off for the steps. Soul caught up to her a moment later. He had always been in better shape than her, after all.

"So, what's the excuse?" Soul asked.

"Simultaneous alarm failure. We turned them off when I got home from the infirmary, not expecting to come today."

Soul's trademark grin covered his face. "Nice. When you lie, you cover your bases. You can be a bad girl when you want, Bookworm."

Maka returned the grin, sans pointed teeth. "I learned from the best, didn't I?"

"I think you mean 'coolest', babe." Soul corrected.

Maka flushed slightly at the informal way he addressed her. _I could get used to that._

"Albarn?" Stein called, just starting attendance. He looked around the tiered rows of seats in the amphitheater-style classroom. He began to put a check next to "absent" on the attendance sheet as the door slammed open.

"Here!" Maka gasped, clearly winded, Soul just behind her.

"Well, I'm glad to see you made it, Maka. I'd like to note that you're late. The same for you, Soul." He noted that both weapon and meister's hair was still slightly wet. _Interesting._ He made a mental note of it.

"We turned off the alarms. Didn't think we'd be coming today." Maka said as she regained her composure.

"Good. Well, have a seat. No sense in delaying the class further." Stein said in his usual clinical tone. He saw that Soul was standing a bit closer than normal to Maka and that he had pulled a full one-eighty from his guilt-ridden disposition when Stein had seen him last. _I wonder..._ he thought to himself. He filed that thought with his previous observation for later consideration.

Maka and Soul mounted the steps to their usual seats next to their friends. Black Star looked a little queasy, like he had for a few days whenever he saw Stein or Medusa after the incident in the infirmary [1]. Tsubaki blushed slightly when she made eye contact with Maka. She could practically hear Tsubaki's congratulations for her and Soul. Kid made every attempt to look as if he knew nothing had happened, as did Liz. Patty, on the other hand, looked like she had one hell of a big secret and was trying not to blurt it out.

They took their seats and tried to look as though nothing had changed. Their friends knew, but they didn't want a scene in the middle of class. Their best efforts did nothing to hide the little clues that only their friends could pick up on though. Maka and Soul sat closer together, the two practically radiated happiness. Maka smiled contentedly to herself as she retrieved her book, notes and pencil case. Soul looked more relaxed than ever before, tipping back in his chair, arms behind his head without a care in the world.

Stein finished taking attendance and launched into a lecture. All seemed well enough with the world to anyone who was paying attention.

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><p>Classes passed quickly that morning. Before they even knew it, it was time for lunch. Out of habit, the entire group sat together in a corner of DWMA's cafeteria. Soul and Maka sat next to each other, which was normal. What was abnormal was the closeness; Maka was nearly in Soul's lap.<p>

"So..." Liz ventured, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Hahahaha! You two had _sex!_" Patty squealed, no longer capable of holding in her little secret.

The term "spit-take" couldn't cover the group's reaction. It seemed like Patty had chosen the exact moment that everyone had chosen to drink and drop her little bomb. Maka coughed up juice, Soul gagged on his Monster Import, Black Star's energy drink oozed from his nose, Tsubaki coughed on her tea, Liz attempted the Heimlich on herself and Kid spewed water across the table.

Patty merely laughed harder, unable to form a coherent sentence as she clutched at her sides. Even after she fell off her chair, she laughed hysterically on the floor.

Liz inspected her shirt, now covered in water. "Way to put that delicately, Patty."

"So, are you two a couple now?" Tsubaki asked, uncharacteristically excited.

"Y-yeah. We are." Soul said, beet red, as he wrapped an arm around an even more red Maka.

"Well congratulations!" Tsubaki said, absolutely overjoyed for the two.

"Glad to see you two finally saw your feelings for each other." Liz said, using a napkin to sponge her shirt dry.

"So, who won the pot, anyways?" Kid asked as he mopped up water from the table.

"Pot?" Maka asked confused.

"We had a bet going on when you two would get together." Black Star said, oddly calm. The mental image from the night before still haunted him. "I put my money on 'never' because Soul said he wouldn't ever go for a bookworm like you."

"_I won!_" Patty shouted from the floor, her upraised fists were the only part of her Soul or Maka could see.

"So how much was that again?" Black Star asked.

"Eighty-eight dollars." Kid said calmly. Soul and Maka stared at him in disbelief. "It was originally thirty-five, but that's such an asymmetric number. I topped it off at eighty-eight for symmetrical reasons." Kid added defensively.

Kid produced the money from his suit jacket and held it out for Patty to take.

"You... you bet on _us_?" Maka said, visibly furious. She was standing now, hands balled at her sides. "Maka... _chop_!" She shouted, hitting every one of her friends, save Patty who was out of reach, in a lightning-fast flurry of blows. She took the money from Kid's stunned hands and handed them to Soul, who pocketed the money.

"Hahahaha! I'm out of reach!" Patty giggled form her refuge on the floor. She sat up, only the top half of her face visible.

"Oh, _I_ see." Black Star said, one hand rubbing his bruised skull. "Money for condoms." His tone was almost vicious in his mocking.

Both Soul and Maka blushed for a moment and looked at each other, then away at the floor.

"Wait. I'm missing something here." Liz said, her head still laying on the table where it landed after the Maka Chop. "What's with that reaction." The blush on Soul and Maka's faces deepened. "_No._ It is _way_ too soon for that. Never mind."

"Actually..." Maka began.

"We think that we had a vision or something." Soul finished.

"A vision? Of what?" Tsubaki asked, no longer phased by the blow to her head.

"Well, I was holding a baby next to Maka in a hospital." Soul explained, his voice lacking the usual cool tone he worked so hard to adopt.

"You weren't, by any chance, in Soul Resonance when you two... climaxed, were you?" Kid asked. The renewed blush gave him his answer. "Hm. Interesting. It _is _ possible."

"What is?" Liz asked, genuinely confused. All eyes were on Kid now.

"There have been a few cases of couples in Soul Resonance having visions of a child during sex." Kid said, rubbing his head and looking at the table. "It's accepted that this is a new soul making its presence known to the parents via a three-way Soul Resonance." He looked at Soul and then Maka. "But if that was the case... that would mean that Maka is-"

"Pregnant!" Patty screeched, jumping up to her feet, hands above her head in a celebratory way.

"What?" Liz and Tsubaki exclaimed in unison.

Black Star looked from Kid to Patty, to Maka and finally to Soul. He pointed at all of the people in order as he stared at them, mouth agape. "S-S-S-Soul's going to be a dad?" He practically screamed.

Sometimes the absence of sound can be more significant that its presence. Such is the case when an entire cafeteria full of people stops what it's doing and stares at something. Maka and Soul slowly looked around, realizing that _they_ were the reason for the entire school's population stopping mid-sentence, mid-chew, mid-drink, and staring at them.

Maka turned back to Black Star. "Black Star... you _idiot_!" She shrieked in panic and anger. "Now my Papa's going to know! Do you have _any_ idea how he's going to react to this?"

The offending ninja stared at her, looking like a lost puppy in the middle of a pack of feral cats who had grown tired of canine oppression. The look is commonly referred to as the "deer in the headlights" look or the "this isn't where I parked my car" look. Color drained from his face a mere instant before a book hit him in the face so hard that he spun through the air and smashed into the table behind him. A stealth Maka Chop, the first of its kind.

"So, this is what I sensed when I looked at you two today." Stein said from his desk chair next to Maka.

Righteous fury evaporated in an instant. "Waagh!" Was Maka's reply as she jumped backwards into Soul's arms, away from the sudden appearance of their teacher.

"How did you do that?" Kid asked, as calmly as he could. Stein showing up could be creepy, as it was nearly always perfectly timed, but now he had the stealth of a true ninja.

Stein leaned back, his glasses flashing in the light obscuring his eyes, as he cranked the screw in his head slowly. "I had a good teacher. All that I had to do was listen to a ninja's conduct that Black Star yells out from time to time. If you follow those, its rather easy."

In spite of the still silent cafeteria, her comatose boyfriend ten feet behind her and the revelation of Maka's pregnancy, Tsubaki clapped her hands together and smiled at Stein. "I'm glad you were able to master them, Professor Stein!"

Stein returned the smile. "Thank you Tsubaki." He turned to Maka and Soul. "Now, for the issue at hand. When you came into class this morning, I noticed a change in you too. It only took a quick glance at your souls to see that you two had transcended the meister and weapon relationship. That and the new soul growing within Maka. That was a pretty good giveaway. [2]"

The new couple stared at their professor. "You knew?" The asked in unison, astonished.

"Yes, but I had no intention of telling Spirit." Stein replied honestly.

At the mention of her father's name, Maka collapsed to the table, holding her head in her hands. "Pappa is going to kill us!" She cried. Soul held her, attempting to comfort her.

"Ah, as to that, I have a plan." Stein said, standing up and looking at the entirety of the assembled students. The light caught his glasses again, making his eyes impossible to see. "All of you, I want none of this to reach Spirit Albarn's ears. If it does, I will find out who told him," Stein lowered his head slightly, a manic grin on his face, his eyes now visible and full of malice, "and I will _dissect them._"

The effect was immediate. The temperature of the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Students forced themselves back into their conversations as if nothing had happened. A few students with weaker constitutions began to cry softly to themselves.

Stein sat back in his chair and smiled at the stunned parent-to-be. "There, that should buy us a week at best. You'll have enough time to talk to your father on your terms now."

Maka began to cry again. Tears of joy and gratitude this time. "Thank you, Professor Stein!"

Black Star, having regained his ego, began to laugh. "That's a nice bluff, Professor stein. That'll scare those guys quiet."

Instantly, Stein was a mere inch from Black Star's face. The manic grin and crazed look were back. "I was serious, Black star. If you say a word to Spirit, I'll make the times you snuck into my home look like child's play. I _will_ dissect you, and Nurse Medusa will assist me. In a sexy nurse outfit no less. She knows how much dissecting specimens excites me." He sounded as if he was ready to burst into the mad cackle that gave young students nightmares.

The combined assault of threat and reopening old mental scars was too much for Black Star. He stammered a desperate apology and fell into the fetal position on the floor and began to rock back and forth. "Scalpels of Professor Stein will avoid the body of Black Star."[3] he chanted softly to himself.

"Speaking of Medusa, I'm overdue for lunch with her." The madness was gone from Stein in an instant. Without another word, he happily rolled off, whistling a jaunty tune to himself. His chair tipped on the divide between the cafeteria and the hallway, righted himself and resumed the tune as if nothing had happened.

"So... who's up for desert?" Kid asked, trying to resume life to normal when it wanted to be anything but.

"I am!" Patty ran off to a vending machine to buy some candy. Kid simply shook his head.

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><p>"So, as you see, Lord Death, I'm not sure what to do with Nygus. I mean we-" Sid was cut off as Lord Death suddenly sat up straight, nearly spilling his tea.<p>

"Oh my... It seems that Stein was up to some of his antics." Lord Death's sing-song voice made the zombie tilt his head, puzzled.

"One moment Sid. sorry to interrupt." Lord Death concentrated his attention on the cafeteria. He could see many of the student's souls there were disturbed, but that faded as Stein's moved away from them. He looked at his son's group of friends and noticed something odd. He looked a little more closely. "Oh ho! It seems that they've finally taken the next step. My my, this will be interesting indeed. I wonder how Spirit will take it? [4]"

Sid's head couldn't tilt any further. "Sir?"

"Oh ho, it's nothing Sid. Sorry. Please continue." Lord Death returned his attention to Sid sitting at the tea table with him.

"Uh... right, so I don't know if I should try to move things along with Nygus or not. Do you have any advice?"

"Oh! Um, well..." Sid leaned closer, waiting to hear what his mentor had to say. "I don't have a clue!" Lord Death chuckled loudly, as if it were some kind of joke. Sid prat-fell onto the table and cursed his luck.

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><p><strong>[1] Ok, I established this in "Your Guardian Soul", but in case you haven't read that (for <em>shame<em>), I decided to tie some of this story in with LinKura's "Allow Me To Cure You". AMTCY is a SteinXMedusa fic that I find absolutely awesome. I HIGHLY recommend that you take a look at it, as it is well written and filled with some of the best lemon that I've ever had the good fortune to read. Also, it adds background to the SteinXMedusa thing that I have going in this fic, because it takes place a few years _after_ the series and the events in "Allow Me To Cure You".**

**[2] First of all, I _was_ raised Roman Catholic, so I do tend to think that a soul is created at the moment of conception, but that is _not_ why I'm choosing to make the unnamed, unborn child's spirit visible. It's good for the _plot_ for the more attuned meisters like Stein, and possibly Kami, to see an unborn child's soul. Also, if the meisters can see it, so can Lord Death, as he is pretty much the ultimate meister.**

**Secondly, it makes sense in this world where souls are far more important than they are in the real world, for an unborn baby's soul to appear, even this close after conception. Mostly because it's a new life and needs to grow along with the child's body; it doesn't make sense for it to just _pop_ into being at birth or at some stage of development.**

**[3] Black star's chant is borrowed from "Last Exile", in which a musketeer chants "Distant bullets will avoid the body of Mullen Shetland [refering to himself]". I thought it would be a funny tie-in.  
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**[4] It was established in the canon that Maka could sense Crona and Ragnarok ruining a large number of goons in the church some distance away. Given that Lord Death is, well, Lord Death and that he has his soul tied to the school itself, one can assume that he'd be able to read person's soul anywhere inside of, and possibly out of, Death City. As such, I think he could see the change in Soul and Maka's souls as well as the new soul of their child.**

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><p><strong>AN: Ok, well, Chapter 2 is done now. Thank God. These chapters are becoming a lot easier to write now. Only problem is that I've largely hit the end of my pre-planned stuff. I've got ideas for chapter 3, name unknown as of this moment, but that's it. So I'll need to do some serious planning as far as the story goes from here. This is shaping up to be a goddamned _monster_, like 20+ chapters kind of monster. God help me.**

**No lemon this chapter. I think I may have given the wrong impression with YGS and Chapter 1, but this will _not_ be a stroke story, and it will be more focused on character development and dealing with life issues. Don't get me wrong, there will be _plenty_ of smut, but it _will_ be split up. After all, having Soul and Maka screw every chapter would get old _fast_. And not just from reading it so often, but because I can only mix and match sexual acts so many times without getting repetitious. *sigh* Smut-writing can be a pain.**

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this. I've got my muse back for the moment, so I plan to use it as much as I can. I've gotten _tons_ of encouragement from reviews, readers and friends like Xx-ChibiKanachan-Xx and LinKura. Thanks to everyone who's given me real feedback and those of you who've read this at all. Seriously, I use my traffic figures to judge my worth as a writer.**

**Well until next time, thanks for reading NOW REVIEW, DAMMIT!**

**P.S. If _ANYONE_ has an idea for Kami Albarn's personality or appearance, _TELL ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD_!  
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	3. Mom, Dad

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater**_**  
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_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 3: "Mom, Dad"**

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><p>Stein's threat to dissect any owner of loose lips was more than valid, and every student knew it. While the Kishin was dead, the madness that plagued him was still present and it had broken free at times, much to the terror of those present when it happened. That and living with Re-Nurse and Ex-Witch Medusa didn't help.<p>

But that's a story for a different time.

While the whole school knew about Maka's pregnancy, well, likely pregnancy anyways, by Soul, no one spoke about it. Spirit and Kami went about their lives as normal, blissfully unaware of the freight train known as Teen Pregnancy that was bearing down on their lives. The thought the lingering glances from the students were strange, but didn't think much of it. Ignorance can truly be bliss.

Only two days of the promised week of silence had passed, but Soul and Maka planned to tell her parents before someone finally let the cat out of the bag.

Soul lounged on the couch in the living room of his apartment, Maka laying half on the couch, half on him. They stared at the blisteringly awful TV program that neither of them had the energy to change with a zombie-like look reserved for those in deep thoughts.

Soul absently shifted his arm from the back of the couch to rest on Maka's side, softly stroking her. His meister smiled at the physical contact and snuggled herself closer to him in response.

Soul's hand moved to the girl's stomach, slowly running his hand over it as he contemplated the life that he knew to be growing beneath his hand. He smiled privately, feeling that he had finally done something in his life that made everything worth it. Aside from helping to kill Asura, that is. Saving the world from insanity is a rather large accomplishment for a mere mortal in most cases. But this, this was something far different. He and Maka, the woman he loved unconditionally and would give his life for, had created a new life and that was something to be proud of.

Maka sensed his feelings through their soul resonance and smiled. She looked up into his crimson eyes as he looked down to the girl lying with her head in his lap. Maka rolled her body over and crawled up his body, pressing hers against him and captured his lips in a loving kiss.

Soul returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her back. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth and running over hers. A small shudder rand through his lover's body and she let a small moan escape into the kiss.

The meister squeaked in surprise when his hands slid down her back and grabbed her ass, holding her close to him. Maka gasped and broke the kiss when his hands ventured up her short skirt and ran along her moist panties.

"Soul..." Maka breathed. Her tone was both admonishing and needing. They hadn't had much free time since their return to school thanks to make-up work that they had been forced into.

Soul smiled in his toothy way and kissed her again. Maka repositioned herself to be sitting in his lap, straddling him. Their hips ground together as they kissed, forcing a moan from Maka and a guttural growl from Soul.

Time stretched on, minutes feeling like hours, as the two tried to quench some internal fire inside of themselves with the other. Intermittent movements of the hips became intense grinding; Soul's erection rubbing against Maka's increasingly wet undergarments. Small moans of pleasure became sounds of the utmost hunger and need.

Finally, the two separated and gasped for air. "Soul." Maka panted between breaths. "I need you. Right now."

From some dark recess of his mind, Soul got an idea. An awful idea. Soul got a wonderful, awful idea. [1]

In a movement so swift that Maka hardly had the time to squeal or make some other noise of protest, Soul pivoted his body on the couch and rolled her onto her back, removed her panties and placed her legs on his shoulders.

Realization hit Maka slightly late, but being spun around and partially disrobed in seconds can delay coherent thoughts in anyone. "Sou-" Her words were cut off by a loud moan as Soul moved his head forward and licked her womanhood.

Soul moved his tongue around her outer lips and then up and down her slit. A new round of moans reached his ears when his tongue passed over her clit and then circled it. Eager to please, he placed his lips around the small knob of flesh and sucked on it gently while he ran his tongue over it. Instantly, Maka bucked her hips and arched her body, suspending her lower body in air with her weight taken easily on Soul's shoulders.

Maka cried out a mixture of his name and expletives as Soul slid his tongue inside of his woman. He savored her sweet taste as he reached as deeply inside of her as he could. Soul moved his tongue around inside of her, twisting it one way and then the other. He rolled the tip back, dragging it along the top of her, right along her g-spot. Soul continued, varying his methods every few seconds, never letting her get used to one particular motion.

After a surprisingly short time, Maka screamed his name and clamped her legs around his head. The surprise and discomfort of having her strong legs nearly crushing his skull was mitigated by her doing something new. Soul had only ever seen it in the few porno movies that he'd watched, but knew what was happening instantly: Maka squirted. Warm juices sprayed out into his mouth which he greedily swallowed.

After the orgasm subsided, Maka lowered herself onto the couch and released Soul's head from her crushing grip.

"Did... Did I just pee?" She asked, her face red with embarrassment.

Soul set her legs down and sat up, licking his lips. "Nope. You squirted. Totally different thing. I'm surprised that I got you to do that though. Guess I'm just that cool." He smiled cockily while looking at her flushed face.

Maka smiled, still breathing heavily. "That _was_ pretty damned amazing." Soul beamed at her proudly. Her voice lowered to a near growl. "But I want _more_!"

Maka lunged at Soul, clamping their lips together. She unbuckled his belt and undid his pants and slid his dick from his boxers. Without breaking the kiss, she straddled him again, this time taking his length inside of her.

Soul grunted at the attack but growled as she seated herself atop him. He wrapped his arms around her, hands on her ass once more and began to lift her and let her fall down the length of his cock repeatedly. Maka began to lift herself up and force herself back down at a rapid pace.

Realizing that his hands were in the way and stopping himself from entering her fully, he reached up, under her shirt, and unclasped her bra. They broke the kiss to remove the other's shirt and toss them onto the floor.

Maka gripped Soul's shoulders for support as she began to ride him faster. Loud moans escaped her lips as the pleasure wrapped around her like a thick blanket, making her thoughts muffled and fuzzy.

Unable to embrace her because it would impede Maka's ability to move, Soul leaned back, letting her take charge. He enjoyed letting Maka take the lead; it was entirely different. That and doing it half-clothed added to the feeling that they were doing something against the rules, something, well, _naughty_.

Soul realized that he would probably orgasm before his lover, so he should put his relatively idle hands to work. He reached out and grasped Maka's swinging breasts and began to squeeze and twist her nipples. Not enough to cause her pain, but more than enough to drive her wild. Maka gasped at the attention one of her weak points were receiving and grinned at him with a devious smile. She quickened her pace considerably.

Maka's gambit worked, albeit at the cost of speeding along her own orgasm that had been brewing. Soul grunted and called her name as the first convulsions of his climax hit him. His muscles across his body contracted as he emptied his thick semen inside of her. His hands gripped tighter on Maka's hard nipples by pure reflex.

Maka nearly screamed as he came inside of her, filling her completely. Coupled with the almost-pain she received from the death grip that Soul had on her nipples, she nearly came there. But she couldn't allow herself to cum yet. She needed to finish her first display of sexual dominance over her weapon.

Before the orgasm had fully worked its way through Soul, he was overcome by an impulse that he'd never thought he'd have. He leaned forward and captured the tender flesh of Maka's neck where it met the shoulder between his teeth. The bite wasn't hard, far from strong enough to break the skin with his pointed teeth, but enough to make his meister scream his name in ecstasy as she finally fell over the edge and came harder than any time in her life.

Maka's eyes rolled back into her head as pleasure so intense she would never be able to describe consumed her. However, instead of her vision going dark, it became bright white.

* * *

><p>Slowly, as the whiteness fadded to a mere fog, Maka came to realize that she was standing on cool grass in the shade of a tree. She looked around and saw that she was at a playground in one of Death City's municipal parks. Children played, laughed and screamed amongst the various structures and play equipment that resided there.<p>

_Where am I?_ Maka thought to herself, as she surveyed the sight before her, momentarily thankful that she was clothed in her usual manner.

"Hello!" A small voice said to her left.

Maka looked down to see who had spoken to her. A small child, maybe five years old, stood next to her, looking up at her with azure eyes. The little girl had ash-white hair and wore her hair in a ponytail.

"My name is Emi!" The girl said happily.

"H-hi." Maka managed to say, still unsure of what the hell was happeneing.

"You're my mommy!" The girl giggled and latched onto Maka's leg.

"What?" Maka said to herself softly. She remembered Soul telling her about a dream he had after the first time they had sex.

Maka knelt down, Emi still clinging to her leg, and hugged the child.

"Nice to meet you." Maka said, trying to fight back tears of joy.

Before Emi could say anything, a woman called out her name.

Emi released her grip on Maka's leg. "I gotta go now." She said almost sadly.

"It's okay." Maka assured the child, an unreadable smile on her lips.

"Bye bye!" Emi shouted as she charged away to a waiting pair of adults.

Realization was slow in coming, but it hit her only as Emi reached the adults. It was herself and Soul.

Soul smiled broadly and knelt down, picking up his daughter, carrying her in his right arm as she wrapped her arms around his neck, laughing.

They were older, that much was obvious. Soul wore khaki cargo shorts and a light blue polo shirt. His hair was short, nearly buzz-cut length. The first thing that struck Maka was how much more muscular he was. The polo shirt did nothing to hide the bulging muscles that covered his body. She noted the scars on his face and arms as well.

Maka looked at herself next. She stood next to her husband smiling and laughing. She too was more muscled looking, but far more toned, like a distance runner rather than a body builder. She wore thigh-length shorts and a conservative green blouse.

Emi pointed at the younger Maka, still kneeling in the grass and both of her parents looked. They smiled and waved at her.

Before Maka could respond, the white fog that had been content to sit around the edges of the playground flowed back, obscuring everything. The light became almost blinding again, as did the pleasure.[2]

* * *

><p>Maka finally slumped against Soul's body when her orgasm had subsided and she'd returned to the realm of Earthly mortals. Before she could topple backwards, Soul lovingly wrapped his arms around the beautiful girl who had just came her brains out.<p>

Soul petted the back of her head, patiently waiting for her to come around. Finally she moaned softly, as if groggy, and pulled herself back from him. She stared into his eyes for a moment and then kissed him lovingly. Soul returned the kiss.

"We name our daughter Emi." Maka said with a smile.

Soul tilted his head slightly in a silent question. Maka told him about what she had experienced.

"Emi..." Soul echoed. "Short for something?"

Maka shrugged slightly. "Emille maybe. Or Emily. Who knows?"

The two smiled at each other and laughed softly.

"You know, we have to tell your parents. Now more than ever." Soul said after a while.

"Yeah... But how?"

"Have them over for dinner Friday night?"

"That sounds good." Maka leaned in and kissed her weapon.

Friday came quickly. The nervousness was nearly unbearable as well. There was the constant fear that the students didn't fear Stein as much as he thought and that someone would accidentally tell Spirit or Kami.

However, the fear the students had for their partially insane instructor held their lips closed, for the most part. Conversations would stop and students would stare whenever Soul or Maka would walk through the halls or enter a classroom.

Thankfully, their friends were there to help. Kid, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and even Black Star were sources of encouragement and comfort. Black Star, in a rare instance of clarity and friendship, was able to calm Soul down whenever he would freak out about how Spirit would take the news.

Maka was more concerned about how her mother would take the news of being a grandmother in the near future. Her mother was Maka's idol, always cool and calm when she had to be and a terror unleashed when something threatened. Maka just hoped that she could stop her mother from going off on Soul for what he had done.

They had decided on Italian for dinner that night. Italian food was the universal olive branch of the culinary world after all. It was hard to go ballistic with a stomach full of lasagna and garlic bread.

Soul had just pulled his homemade lasagna from the oven when someone knocked on the door. A tremor of momentary panic went through the two teens before Maka set down the last fork and opened the door.

"Papa!" Maka squealed as she opened the door, hugging her father.

"Hi there, Maka." He said, returning the hug and trying not to drop the wine bottle he had brought.

"Hi Mama." Maka said as she released her father and hugged her mother.

"Hello." Her mother said happily as she likewise hugged her daughter.

"Hi guys." Soul called form the kitchen as he set the pan on the table. He removed the oven mitts and apron that he had worn to strop errant sauce from staining his shirt with a slight flush of embarrassment.

"Soul." Spirit said coolly as he set the wine bottle on the table and took Soul's hand and executed a "bro hug".

"Soul, good to see you again." Kami said as she entered the kitchen, Maka trailing behind her. Soul was always stunned by Kami's looks. She always wore a mid-length grey dress skirt and dress shirt, as if she were a corporate woman, not one of the best meisters in DWMA history. Her face was that of a more mature Maka, with sharp, olive eyes. Her hair was blonde waterfall that stopped around her shoulder blades. If it weren't for her warm smile, she'd look like a very severe woman. And Soul knew that she _could_ be absolutely vicious if she wanted to be. [3]

Soul smiled and tried to hide a gulp. "Good to see you too, Kami."

They sat down to dinner after a small amount of chit chat. Both Spirit and Kami seemed completely oblivious to the coming bomb that Soul and Maka were to drop upon them. It wasn't unusual for Maka's parents to come over for dinner or for them to have Soul and Maka over. Nothing was detectably amiss.

The cat nearly got out of the bag by its own volition when Maka turned down a glass of wine. It wasn't the refusal itself, she would sometimes decline a glass at dinner, but the speed at which she turned down the glass. Spirit arched an eyebrow for a moment and then filled Soul's glass. Kami said nothing, but if one was looking for it, they would see the faintest of smiles on her lips.

Dinner passed largely as normal. They laughed and joked and swapped stories of their missions. It was almost a meeting of war buddies rather than parents and children. Fighting the very worst humanity has to offer can forge a bond stronger than that of parent and child, that of brothers, and sisters, in arms.

Beneath the joviality, Maka was panicking. Soul did his best to calm her over their soul link.

_Soul, this is terrible! I feel like I'm getting ready to put a knife in their backs..._

_Don't worry. It'll be fine. They did the exact same thing when they were our age. They had a rough time, but they also had _you_ and I'm grateful for that._

_I guess you're right._

_Of course I am, dummy. _Soul's smirk was practically audible in his tone.

"That, was good lasagna, Soul." Spirit said as he leaned back and patted his stomach.

"Thanks. Thought you'd like it. Not as good as your bourbon chicken though."

"Haha, I guess I'll make that next time you two are over."

_Now's the time._ Maka thought to herself.

"Mamma, Papa, I have something to tell you." Her tone was enough to chill the air and make Spirit sit back up in his chair.

"What is it, Maka?" Spirit asked, concern lacing his words.

Soul grabbed Maka's hand that rested on the table and laced his fingers with hers. "_We_ have something to tell you." He corrected.

Maka smiled at him, glad to have his touch and his support in what was likely the most critical moment of her life. She looked at her mother and then her father.

"I'm pregnant."

Spirit fainted.

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><p><strong>[1] Seriously, if you don't get this, you <strong>_**are**_** the Grinch, or not familiar with Dr. Seuss. **_**Why**_** did I include such a random shout-out? Because my muse told me so. That, and I'm a twisted son of a bitch.**

**[2] Ok, so, this scene just wrote itself. I had originally planned on being done with visions and dreams and whatnot, but this just kind of... happened. I get the feeling that it's a bit flimsy and that I might have bitten off more than I can chew. That said, Emi just came to me. Seriously, I was trying to imagine her name by having her say, "Hi, I'm BLANK", except the name Emi inserted itself on the first try and I liked it. So, her name is Emi. Her hair color was established the first chapter and I decided that a deep azure blue was the right color for her eyes after all. The older Soul and Maka were a bit awkward because, well shit, its only 5 years or so in the future, and I doubt that they'll stop working for Lord Death, hence the stronger and more scarred look.**

**[3] Ok, at first I was daunted by deciding on Kami's looks and personality, but thanks to some helpful reviewers, Maka's description of her personality and the unknown force that tells me to do things a certain way that I call my muse, this turned out better than I had expected. In my mind, Kami is the perfect tsundere, calm and cool, but loving in the right circumstances and will rip your throat out if you do something to really piss her off. I didn't want to take the usual cop-out of "like Maka, but older" so I made some tweaks to her appearance like darker green eyes, different hair color and a rather different personality. In all honesty, it seems that Maka modeled herself after her mother, what with Kami being her idol. Backtracing some of the traits wasn't that hard, but filling in the gaps. Overall, I'm satisfied with Kami as I portray her, if only a bit anxious that I didn't do a good enough job. Well, that's up to you in the end, isn't it?**

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><p><strong>AN: Well, this was long in coming, so I hope it was worth the wait. I know I made extravagant promises of 3 more chapters before school started, and I'm down to just a few days before I move back to my apartment and a week after that until school resumes and a 16 credit semester stands waiting for me in a dominatrix outfit. Holding a paddle.  
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**I'm starting to think that this story was already written and had been since the dawn of time and I'm merely putting it down on paper. I get random ideas that just come into my head without a prior thought and they fit so damned well that it scares me. Either way, I'm happy with the story thus far.**

**And yes, I know that it was a dick move to end on a cliffhanger like that, but it just FITS. Some things are writing conventions BECAUSE they work so damned well. Not only that, but I'm hoping that the people screaming at me to finish will be enough motivation and make me write the next chapter.**

**So, as always, you've read, NOW REVIEW DAMMIT! If you don't, I'll give Gary Busey your address and tell him that you have his endocrine system and that he should go get it back. (Points if you GET this pointless threat)**

**P.S. Did anyone notice that Kami DIDN'T do a Coffee Table Flip Attack? Seriously, I left a neon sign over her head, if you did see it, don't blow it for others in the reviews, just send me a PM if you have a comment on that.**


	4. Soul is the Father

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

**WARNING: My footnote and notes at the end are long. That is all.**_**  
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_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 4: "Soul is the Father"**

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><p><em>"Mamma, Papa, I have something to tell you."<em>

_"What is it, Maka?" Spirit asked._

_Soul grabbed Maka's hand. "We have something to tell you." He corrected._

_"I'm pregnant."_

_Spirit fainted._

Aside from the tinkling of Spirit's broken wine glass and a low groan from the Death Scythe, the room was deathly silent.

Maka stared into her mother's face, hearing her own rapid pulse in her ears. Kami's face hadn't changed in the slightest since Maka spoke; she still stared into her daughter's eyes with a small smile. She almost looked as if the news hadn't been a surprise to her.

Soul sat next to Maka, still holding her hand encouragingly. He gulped hard as he too stared at Kami, waiting for her to explode like a roadside bomb.

The ten seconds that followed were the longest of the young couple's lives.

Kami's eyes slowly shifted to look at Soul. Her smile faded to a mere neutral look. He felt as though he was an open book and the meister was looking into his very thoughts, trying to find... _something_, but damned if he knew what it was.

After another pocket eternity, the smile returned to Kami's lips and then finally to her eyes.

_Christ! This is it! She's going to smile right before she slides the knife over my throat!_ Soul panicked inwardly, he fought to urge to bolt from the room. _I can't do that... I can't leave Maka._

Kami's smile built more and more, finally, she was beaming. "Congratulations." She said, managing a stern sort of happiness that shouldn't exist.

The couple gaped at the woman.

"What?" Maka finally managed.

"I'm happy for you two. I can tell you thought that I would kill you or something." A small chuckle followed.

"You mean, you mean you're not mad?" Soul asked, finding his astounded voice.

Kami looked at him with a look of mild surprise. "Of course. Who am I to condemn a couple for having a child at your age? I did it myself." She turned and looked at Maka. "And it was probably the best thing that I ever did in my entire life."

"I thought you'd be surprised." Maka said, still unbelieving.

"Maka, you can hide many things from me, but you can't hide the soul of your baby. I noticed it when we arrived tonight. Besides, you almost look like you're glowing."

Soul and Maka looked at each other and mouthed the words _Of course!_ After all, Stein may have been the DWMA's best meister, but Kami was nearly his equal. If Stein could see the soul of their daughter growing within Maka, surely her mother could.

"So you let us sweat this out the entire dinner?" Soul asked astonished. "Not cool."

"Cool has nothing to do with it." Kami said with a faint smile. "I wanted to let you two tell us how you wanted to." The smile broadened as she looked at the unconscious Spirit on the floor. "And I knew his reaction would be priceless."

Soul tried to repress a laugh and failed. He was shortly followed by the mother and daughter. Maka and Soul continued to laugh longer than the joke warranted. They couldn't help themselves, the laughter was the release valve for all of the tension that they had felt for the better part of a week.

"You mean you're not mad? At all? Really?" Maka said, still coming down from the laughing fit.

"Maka, darling," Kami reached across the table and clasped her daughter's hand. "I could never be mad at you for living your life the way you want to. I know you've had to grow up far faster than most people your age; first with the divorce and then with being a meister at the Academy."

Maka stared at her mother, deeply touched. "Mama..."

Kami looked at Soul, her piercing eyes warm. "And you found a man that you love and loves you dearly. I can see how your souls resonate and how they are when you two are near each other. I know that you two won't end up like Spirit and I did."

Soul sat still, his eyes unfocused as he replayed Kami's words in his head. Maka stared at her mother and gripped her hand tightly, tears of joy and happiness brimming in her eyes.

The Kodak moment was interrupted by a groan from the floor.

All eyes shifted towards Spirit as he groggily pushed himself up off the floor and came to a sitting position. His face was blank and devoid of emotion.

"Maka, are you really pregnant?" Spirit asked, staring at the tile floor a few feet beyond his shoes.

Maka gulped. "Yes Papa."

"And Soul is the father?"

"Yes Papa."

Spirit closed his eyes and smiled to himself. "Good." Spirit stood and looked at the two, the smile still on his lips. "If it were anyone else, I'd be going insane right now."

"Papa..." Maka breathed, astonished that he was being so unlike his usual self; mature.

"Maka, your Papa loves you very much. He also trusts you. You're an adult, a big girl, capable of making your own choices in life. If that means you love Soul, and he loves you, and you two want to have a family, then I guess I'll have to go along with it."

"Papa..." Tears threatened to spill over once more from Maka's eyes. "That's so-"

"Cool." Soul finished her sentence in his own way.

Spirit looked at Soul, with his eyes slightly widened and his mouth slightly agape. "Soul... that's the first time you've said that I'm cool..."

Soul smiled as his flushed with embarrassment. He looked away and ran a hand through his white hair. "You don't have to make such a huge fuss out of it. I was just saying you were being really cool and – _oof_"

Soul was cut off when Spirit lunged at the young man and hugged him around the torso, as he did to Maka so many times to her embarrassment. "Soul! A man couldn't ask for a better son-in-law! Andifyoudon'ttakegoodcareofMakaI'llkillyou!" Spirit was crying in his typical overly emotional display.

"Hey! What the hell old man? I was being serious and you freaking ruin it! I take back what I said about you being cool! Let me go dammit!"

Maka and Kami stared at the spectacle taking place before them, looked at one another and laughed heartily.

"Dammit! I said let go old man! Maka! Get this old geezer off of me!"

"But it's funny! Is that how it looks when he does that to me?"

"Not cool Maka. Just get him off of me!"

Maka sighed. "Maka... _chop_!"

"Maka... why did you hit Papa?" Spirit whined rubbing his wounded skull gently.

"Because, you were being annoying to Soul."

After some more whining form Spirit, Kami dragged him to the sink to start washing the dishes since Soul and Maka cooked. She went and cleaned up Spirit's broken wine glass and the spilled wine.

Soul and Maka sat at the dinner table relaxing as their elders did the dishes. Soul had his chair tipped back, hands behind his head and eyes closed. Maka sat with her feet on their chair, her arms wrapped around her knees, smiling happily to herself.

"You know," Soul began, cutting into the relative silence. "We were expecting world war three or some kind of nuclear meltdown after telling you guys."

Kami turned and smiled softly at Soul. "Why would you think that?"

Soul returned the glance. "Well, not every day that you find out your eighteen year old daughter is pregnant while still in school."

"That's true." Kami looked at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment. "But then again its not very often that those circumstances happen to two kids so much in love."

Sou's face flushed again. "Geez. Is everyone trying to make me sound so uncool tonight?" Maka giggled, enjoying her lover being put off balance.

"Yeah, well it helps that you're a Death Scythe, employed by Lord Death. It's not like the job doesn't pay well or the medical isn't good."[1] Spirit commented without looking up from the pan he was scrubbing. "Job security so you can provide for my Maka and the baby."

A lengthy silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of running water and clinking plates and glasses.

"Say... did you two, uh, see anything when I was..." Maka trailed off, unable to broach the topic of her own conception.

"See anything?" Spirit said turning around. "I know I saw your mom screa-" A baking pan impacted with his skull.

Kami looked at Spirit sourly. "That's not what she meant, don't traumatize the girl."

Maka's face was a rictus of disgust.

"She means did you two share a vision or anything when you conceived her." Soul said, cool composure regained.

"I can't say." Kami said thoughtfully. "We weren't using Soul Resonance at the time. I've heard that a couple in Soul Resonance might see something..." She trailed off looking at the young weapon and meister.

"We saw ourselves in the hospital, holding a baby girl." Maka said, answering her mother's unasked question.

"Oh my. So it'll be a girl. Have you thought of a-"

"Emi." The young couple said in unison.

"Emi?" Spirit asked. "Where'd you get that form?"

"A different vision." Maka said. "I was the only one who saw it. I saw her when she was a few years old, almost preschool age."

"Interesting. Most of the reported visions are sketchy on details, more like feelings than images. I wonder what it means..." Kami stood next to Spirit, hand thoughtfully on her chin.

"Ask Lord Death?" Spirit ventured, still scrubbing dishes.

Everyone looked at him for a moment, stunned. Spirit finally realized he was the center of attention and turned to look at them. "What?"

"That's a good idea, Papa."

"Yeah. He's Lord Death. The guy knows all there is to know about souls." Soul agreed.

"But how do we get a straight answer out of him? He's so hard to talk to sometimes, just going off on a tangent." Maka wondered.

"I think he'll take an interest in one of his Death Scythe's unborn children. He loves kids." Spirit said, turning around. "He practically tried to adopt you when you were born."

Maka laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I almost had to fight him for you. In the end we decided he would be your godfather. It was either him or Stein anyways." He turned back to the dishes with a grimace, Stein's face in his mind.

Maka shuddered as she thought of being raised by Stein.

"Wait, Lord Death is your godfather, Maka?" Soul stared at her, eyes wide in surprise and perhaps even a hint of admiration.

"Yeah. He and my Papa are actually pretty good friends. Papa is – was," Maka corrected herself, smiling at Soul, "the only Death Scythe in Death City for a long time, so they spent a lot of time together."

When Maka corrected herself, Spirit jumped and tensed himself for his usual routine; yelling at Soul for surpassing him, saying strength was no substitute for experience, he was there first and so many more reasons that he still claimed he was a better Death Scythe for Lord Death. Instead, he smiled to himself as he finished the dishes.

Kami caught his reaction and noted the rather dramatic change in her ex-husband and smiled softly. She kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "I'm proud of you, Spirit." She said softly.

Maka stopped dead, leaving the rest of a story about Lord Death and Spirit untold.

The Death Scythe turned to his former meister with an almost sad smile. "She's my Maka, my world... and she's growing up. Way faster than I had ever imagined. Soul is a good man for her." He trailed off, looked distantly at the counter next to Kami as if it held answers for him.

"Could we ask for a better man for her? I've seen their souls and I can see their love for each other." Kami said with a wistful smile. "Like we were."

Spirit was jolted from his reverie and looked into his ex-wife's dark green eyes. "I know I screwed up. Bad. But I never stopped loving you, Kami."

The woman blushed, a rare thing for her. She ignored the million and one things that she could say or ask him about his womanizing. Instead she looked at him, her doleful smile never wavering. She knew she didn't need to use her ability to see souls to know he was telling the truth. She did anyways, a habit she gained over her years of working in the field for months at a time on missions from Lord Death.

Spirit's soul, usually energetic with the occasional twitch of extra spontaneity, was steady as a rock. Sincerity radiated from it. It confirmed what she knew and then some.

Spirit wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Initially lost for what to do, the meister returned the embrace and buried her face in his chest.

"I know." Kami said softly, barely loud enough for Spirit to hear. "I never stopped loving you, either. I just had to get away from the pain. Seeing you with all of those women..."

Spirit pulled back from the embrace, looking into her eyes again. "That's over. I gave you and Maka my word. I intend to keep it. You and Maka... and Emi" He added with a smile, "are the only women in my world."

Kami smiled, the smallest glint of too much moisture in her eyes twinkled in the light. She kissed Spirit softly.

Soul turned to Maka quietly. "Get the feeling that we're intruding?" He smiled faintly.

Maka returned the smile with tired eyes. She stifled a yawn. "Yeah. I think that I might be headed to bed soon."

Her parents parted from the kiss and looked at them, seeing younger versions of themselves, as if through a window to the past.

"We should get going, anyways." Spirit said.

"Ok." Maka said as she stood and hugged her parents. "I'm gonna go to bed now."

"Good night, Maka." Her mother said. Spirit simply kissed her forehead.

Maka wandered off to her room and closed the door.

Soul saw the guests to the door shortly after. "Thanks for coming over. Sorry we had to ambush you with that. We just couldn't think of any other way to break it to you." Soul said.

Kami hugged the father of her future granddaughter. "It's alright Soul. If it were any other man, I'd have reacted differently." A smiled that hinted "differently" involved a car battery and jumper cables flitted across her face.

Soul swallowed, trying not to picture how she would have "grounded" him.

"Just take good care of Maka." Spirit said, holding a hand out to soul.

Soul shook his hand firmly. "I've been willing to die for her in the past. That hasn't changed. Besides, cool guys always take care of their woman." His smile contained no irony or hidden jab at Spirit.

The elder Death Scythe smiled. "Just remember, you hurt her and you have us to deal with."

"Yeah, as if her reaction wouldn't be incentive enough." Soul chuckled. "Drive safe." He said with a wave and closed the door as they descended down the stairs of the apartment building.

The young man leaned on the door and let out a sigh. _Those two can be freaking scary. All-in-all, not as bad as we thought, though._ He smiled to himself and walked to Maka's door, turning off the kitchen light as he went.

He opened it as quietly as he could and entered her darkened room. Maka lay beneath the sheets of her bed, facing him.

"That went better than we hoped." She said with a sleepy smile, relief covered her tired words.

"Yeah." Soul said softly as he disrobed down to his boxers and crawled into bed with her.

The two embraced and kissed softly. Maka snuggled herself up to Soul's warm body and cooed contentedly. Soul kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek on her head.

After a few moments, Maka's breathing became shallow and regular as she fell asleep. Soul smiled to himself, happy with everything in his corner of the universe. He moved a hand down to Maka's stomach, his hand resting above his still-cell-dividing daughter, not yet a recognizable fetus.

For a brief moment as he himself faded off to sleep, he thought he could hear the universe or fate or possibly even some higher power speaking to him in words felt rather than heard. It told him that he was a fortunate man, that everything would be alright. It might have even been his own mind reassuring itself. He didn't care, he just knew that he was the coolest, luckiest guy on Earth.

Just as he was falling asleep, Spirit's words from earlier repeated in his mind: A man couldn't ask for a better son-in-law!

His eyes flew open, fully awake with a small surge of adrenaline.

_Son-in-law? That means marriage. We haven't even _thought_ about that! Shit shit shit shit! _Panic gripped his thoughts. _Married at eighteen?_ _Married to Maka..._

He looked down at Maka, sleeping soundly in his arms. A smiled played on his lips.

_Cool._

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><p><strong>[1] This has bugged me for a while, and isn't addressed in the anime, but I made up my mind a long time ago. As far as this little niche, my canon, is concerned, students are compensated monetarily for successful mission completion. <strong>

**This makes sense on a few levels. First, they are literally risking their lives on each mission, even the military and police get hazard pay. Second, its good incentive. While a meister/weapon pair may be motivated to reach the level of Death Scythe, prestige alone is a poor excuse for putting yourself on the line. Third, it's been some 800 years since the Kishin first arose and admittedly, the revival in the anime was a brief whirlwind, so doing their missions for the sake of preventing another Kishin out of fear of another one arising isn't enough incentive in my mind. Fourth, people generally go to schools for an opportunity of employment in the future. There is no way that large of a number of students would become weapons or meisters if they spent years of their lives in a school that taught them skills with no place in the job market, so there **_**has**_** to be money in hunting tainted souls.**

**Shit, even the ninjas-in-training in **_**Naruto**_**, of all things, get paid for their missions.**

**As for the actual point of this footnote, a Death Scythe, the pinnacle of being a weapon, has to be a decent paying job. Spirit acts as a substitute teacher, ostensibly knowing all that the DWMA can teach. Not to mention he's likely on a retainer from Lord Death as his weapon, which would probably pay handsomely. It must be hard to convince someone to rarely leave a city so they can act as a weapon to be used in dire times. Hell, even the other Death Scythes are employed by the school around the globe.**

**In addition to the pay, the life insurance and medical has likely got to be very good. It's a very high risk job, potentially fatal even. That and I'm sure that Lord Death takes care of the people in his employ; he's just that kind of guy.**

**Why yes, yes I am over thinking this.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>AN: Ok people, sorry for this chapter being a bit of an anti-climax. The story is writing itself now, since I never planned out this story much so now I'm just letting it flow via my muse. I know that I talk about my muse a lot, but I sincerely believe that it exists and that I'm acting more as an outlet for it rather than its wielder. Normally, I'm ok with that, especially seeing how "Who Owns Whom?" was practically written by my muse which ignored my plans for mindfuckery and wrote a true gem instead.**

**Since I'm planning on just letting my muse run wild with this story, I can't really guarantee that this story will be as interesting, flashy, action-packed or smutty as earlier chapters and "Your Guardian Soul" indicated. Because of this, I'm begging you for input on this. If I'm making the story too bland or slice-of-life, **_**tell me**_**. I'll take back control and plan out the chapters again and try and make it more interesting.**

**That said, I think that this chapter was more for exposition sake and anything else. Some gaps seemed to exist within characters and their interactions that I had to try and fill in. I don't think that the way that I've been writing this story really allows something so glaring to be left at "they got better" with nary another word.**

**I'm not sure whether I'm happy with the ending or not. I had initially seen a heart to heart talk between the two after Spirit and Kami left about Spirit's assumption that they would get married. However, my muse took a different route and that was where it ended. There will still be a talk and all that, but probably some time in the future.**

**Coming soon in "Nine to Life"!: Talking with Lord Death, the specter of Soul's family, smut and a powerful enemy. Not necessarily all in the next chapter, but soon.**

**So, now more than ever, I need substantive reviews and not questions about "what happens next" or requests for moar. You'll find out when I write the next chapter anyways. But I need input. You guys are the readers and if you want some decent reading, I need to know your concerns.  
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**Please, for the love of God and Country, review.**

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><p><strong>Author's Bitching (AB hereafter, feel free to skip these.): Do you know how annoying the word "Death Scythe" is for me to type so damned often? The letters are arranged poorly for quickly typing the word out and messes up my goddamned flow. My Groove if you will. Sadly, I can't kick words off of my non-existent castle, and I refuse to do that to my keyboard. Points if you got the proper visual and reference.**

**Kami is a bitch to write. I'm dealing with a character whose appearance I had to guess as and a personality that was only hinted at by reputation. Trying to nail down her not-mid-divorce personality is entirely in my hands. I guess I settled on something of a tsundere personality for her, sans the childish behavior that normally accompanies that kind of person. She's cold mostly because she had to be for all of those years out in the field and from dealing with Spirit's philandering. I think that she genuinely still loves him and I'm trying to show a burned bridge being slowly rebuilt. I can imagine that having a mutual interest, Maka, in this kind of a situation would be a catalyst rather than an anti-catalyst. That, and I don't want to make this an annoying drama.**

**Trying to juggle the different personalities is a pain. I have to try and get into a character's mind for one line, then jump into another's for the next damned line. That's annoying, especially when they're all so damned different and one that I have to try and make up as I go, knowing that it becomes canon as soon as I write it. "This is how Kami reacts to X", is something that sticks into people's minds and I have to deal with that when writing her every damned word. Shit, I even have to work out how she talks.**

**I'm seriously frustrated with my own writing style. I use too many larger words to replace the commonly used ones so you don't have to see "said" every damned line. It also shuts a lot of doors to me when writing smut. It's very hard for me to use words like "pussy", "cunt" and "jizz" because they're slang and don't really fit with the higher-brow language I use. The converse is true as well; using "vagina" or "penis" or "semen" just seems too clinical, too distanced. I feel like I mopped myself into a corner sometimes.  
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**Kami is my bane.**


	5. The InLaws No, the OTHER InLaws

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

Ladies and gents, this is not a chapter.

Nope. This is a correction to an error on the website's part when I uploaded the last chapter and my own fault for not catching it when I read over it again.

The error is this:

When soul call's Spirit cool for the first time and Spirit goes overboard, he says:  
>"Soul! A man couldn't ask for a better son-in-law! 'llkillyou!"<p>

He was _meant_ to say this:

"Soul! A man couldn't ask for a better son-in-law! [And you better take good care of Maka or I'll kill you]!"

Everything in brackets was supposed to be one word. For some reason, when I uploaded my .doc file to the FF, the parser misread it to the shortened, confusing version.

I mention this because it is critical to comprehending Spirit's reaction.

I also attempted to post the correction, but every. Damn. Time. That I tried, the website would make the same mistake and the correction looked like the error. I tried three times, which is why those of you who have me or the story on Alert listing got a whole bunch of dud links to a non-existent chapter 5.

Oh, yeah, I was joking. This is a chapter. LULZ

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><p><em><strong>Nine to Life<strong>_

**Chapter 5: "The In-Laws. No, The **_**Other**_** In-Laws"**

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><p>Maka and Soul walked through the tunnel of traditional Japanese shrine arches[1]guillotines that made up the entryway to the Death Room. The entrance had always made Maka a bit unnerved; even if they weren't functional guillotines, if the arch gave way, there would be several tons of sharpened steel falling on whoever was below them.

Maka shook her head, dispelling her concerns about the creepy aesthetic choices of Lord Death. They were here for a reason.

"Ah, Soul, Maka! Good to see you! What's up? How's it going? What's shakin'?" Lord Death greeted the duo as they entered his lair proper. He sat as his coffee table, sipping tea.

"Hey Lord Death." Soul greeted his employer/headmaster.

"Thank you for seeing us, Lord Death." Maka bowed slightly.

"No problem! Come, have a seat! I made some tea!" Somehow, Lord Death's joviality failed to annoy Soul. That was fine by him.

The teens sat down in silence as Lord Death poured tea into two extra mugs that had somehow appeared on the table.

"So, Maka, how are you feeling?" The shinigami asked as he set the tea kettle down.

"Pretty good, all things considered." She answered with a weary smile. The last few days had taken an emotional toll on her.

"Oh ho! Good! I take it that your mother and father took your news well?"

"Yeah. Surprisingly they were really cool about it." Soul smirked.

"Good, good! Well, let's get the elephant out of the room: congratulations you two!" The meister and weapon gave their thanks to Lord Death. "I don't normally condone this sort of thing in my students because it makes going on missions and focusing on studies very difficult. However, you are two of my best students, nearly graduated and very close to one another. So, my usual concerns seem to have been kicked to the curb!

"However, I think that you two came to see me for more than a vote of confidence. So, out with it you two, what'cha need? What can I do for you?"

"Well, when we first... uh..." Maka trailed off. Her newfound confidence still wasn't enough to allow her to talk about her sex life, let alone with Lord Death of all people. She looked at Soul for support.

"When we first..." Soul searched for a delicate word. "made love, we had a vision."

Lord Death perked up. "Oh? Do tell!"

"I was sitting in a hospital room next to Maka holding a newborn baby girl." Soul explained.

Lord Death placed an oversized hand on his chin, thinking. "My my. You two were in Soul Resonance, I trust. I have heard of this before, but it might not mean anything at all. I can only say for certain that it was a newly-created soul making its presence known to its creators and parents, not a vision of the future." The pair looked crestfallen. "No one can predict the future, you two. Like I said, it was most likely the baby letting you know it was there now."

"I had another vision later on." Maka stated.

"Oh my! Another one? That is _rare_." The personification of death was now _very_ intrigued.

Maka related the vision and her conversation with Emi.

"Oh ho! This is a new one!" Lord Death resumed his thinking pose. "Now _this_ could be significant. However, this isn't a view to the future either. Visions have to be interpreted, not taken literally like a text book. They're more like those artistic indie films! You have to sift through them to figure out their meaning..."

"Do you know what it means then?" Maka asked.

"I can take a shot in the dark, but that's all I can offer you."

"It's better than what we've come up with." Soul grumbled.

"Oh calm down Soul! No need to be so glum you two! The fact that you had three visions regarding this new soul tells me just one thing: this girl's soul is very strong. That means she will likely be very attuned to souls and either a weapon or a meister. Which of the two, I can't say, but she will be far more attuned to souls and their wavelengths than your average Joe."

Maka gasped at the revelation and smiled. Soul just made his trademark toothy grin.

"Because of that, it's entirely possible that your daughter will continue the family tradition and be a meister like you and your mother, Maka. With that kind of lineage, she could be an incredibly powerful one as well!" Soul looked slightly disappointed for a split second but recovered his pride-induced grin. The look was not unnoticed by Lord Death. "Oh cheer up Soul! She could be an impressive weapon as well! With both her father and grandfather as Death Scythes, she could easily take after you as well!"

Soul chuckled. "So, it's a crapshoot?"

"Yup! You could say that. Like all genetic traits, it's entirely up to chance. Or Punnett Squares[2]. Whichever you want to follow."

They lapsed into a contemplative quiet as the two teenagers thought about the possibilities of their yet unborn daughter's abilities.

"Say..." Lord death began, bringing them from their reverie. "Have you two thought of a godfather for Emi?" Hope was positively oozing from his words.

Maka and Soul exchanged a glance; they had foreseen this question.

"Well, my Papa won't be happy, but we decided that you could be her godfather if you wanted." Maka said with a smile.

"Yahoo!" Lord Death exclaimed as he jumped up and began to dance about. The two laughed until he expressed his joy and then sat down. He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. I'm just rather excited. It's not often that I'm appointed a legal guardian. And I do so love helping children to grow and reach their potential, weapons, meisters or normal people." Lord Death actually seemed embarrassed by his outburst of exhuberance.

"That's fine." Maka said soothingly.

Silence again returned to the Death Room as they three sat and sipped their tea.

"Oh! I nearly forgot! Soul, I wanted to let you know that a new pre-Kishin spirit has surfaced." Soul and Maka sat up a little straighter. They were onto business now.

"Anything we need to worry about?" Maka asked. They hadn't fought against anyone aside from the remnants of Arachnophobia for a while now. Their last mission had ended with success, but at a cost. The two were itching to make up for their mistakes.

"Hm... Not yet, I don't think. The assignment is up on the mission board for younger students to undertake. This soul is rather dangerous, so I've already turned down pairs that are too inexperienced. If this develops into a major problem, I will be sending you two along with Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Liz and Patty. I'm not worried yet, but the rate at which this soul has grown is somewhat disturbing."

"Well, whenever you need us, we're ready." Soul stated.

"Good! Good! I know I can always count on your three teams to tackle my more serious jobs!"

"What can you tell us about this person?" Maka asked.

Lord Death set down his tea mug. "She calls herself the Kuchisake-onna, [3] and she's been stalking the streets of Tokyo, Japan for some time now. You may be familiar with the urban legend of a woman wearing a surgical mask asking people if she is beautiful. When they answer 'yes' she removes the mask revealing her mouth has been slit from ear to ear and kills them. If they answer 'no', she kill them anyways. It seems that only recently that she has started actually eating the souls of human beings."

Maka shuddered. "That's gross."

Soul shrugged. "Shouldn't be too hard to deal with. Just answer that she looks average or so-so."

"Ah, but that was the usual solution for a long time. However, she seems to get enraged at that answer and will attack her victims if they answer like that as well. That is likely why she's been killing more people and eating more souls lately."

"Huh. Well, let us know if you need us." Soul said as he leaned back, resting on his arm.

"Will do! Now I'm sorry to be rude, but I have a meeting with some of the instructors soon." Lord Death stood up from the table and dramatically stretched his back. Soul and Maka stood as well.

"Thanks for seeing us and for the tea." Maka said. Soul just stood looking bored with his hands behind his head.

"Anytime kids! Thanks for coming by! Talk to ya later!"

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><p>Soul and Maka took their seats in their class room in their usual spots. Soul and Black Star high-fived and greeted each other while Maka and Tsubaki talked.<p>

Soul sat down next to Maka with his arm around her, causing her to smile and blush slightly. Whispers and murmurs spread through the classroom. The two were definitely at the top of the school's gossip list of topics.

Soul smiled both possessively and cockily. It was surprising how quickly he had stopped getting letters in his locker from girls asking to be his meister.

"Hey, Soul."

"Hm?"

"Have you told your family yet? About me? About... us?"

Soul recoiled, removing his arm from her. "God no! I want nothing to do with them, especially now."

"You should tell them, at least." Maka's words carried a hidden note of concern.

"Nah." He resumed his "cool guy" pose with his chair rocked back and his arms behind his head. "I came to Death City to get away from them. My mom's cool, just a bit smothering. My dad's and ass and my brother... well, he's what they always wanted in a son. He's smart, successful, talented. I like him more than those two, really.

"If I told them I'd get nothing but trouble and don't want that right now. Mom would talk about how I went and did this without thinking about how it would affect my life and lecture me for an hour then go on to ask about you, your family and then the baby. Hell, she'd probably even try to move here so she could be close to the kid."

"That's not so bad-" Maka began.

"Then she'd try and take over our lives. Make sure you were eating right for the baby, that the apartment was baby-proofed and clean and force us, or at least you to get about 12 hours of sleep so you won't get sick or something. Then Dad would probably say that he's disappointed in me for making rash decisions and yell at me for living in sin and not having married you before we even started living together."

Maka jumped at the word "married". "Is he really that traditional?"

"See why I left now?" He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"What about your brother?"

The smiled evaporated. "Wes... I dunno. He'd probably just say 'Good job, bro.' and leave it at that. He's always been like that. He supports me in whatever I do, almost patronizingly. At least he realizes that my parent's ideas for my life might not fit with what I want."

"He doesn't seem that bad, then." Maka stated.

Soul grunted, his face scrunched up a little. "He can be annoying sometimes. He's a damned good violinist. Better than I am with the piano. He can be hard to live with. He's good at everything that he does and it bugs the hell out of me. Everything is so easy for him."

"Sounds like you have an inferiority complex, Soul." Liz said from the row behind them.

Soul started and dropped his chair into the position is was made for and turned around. "I do _not_. I'm a Death scythe, I've got a good girlfriend and I'm going to be a father! I've got him beat by a mile for once!"

"Haha! Soul's mad!" Patty squealed from the other side of Kid.

"Geez. I was joking. Relax Soul." Liz sighed, exasperated, and sat back in her chair.

"He's mad sis!" Patty giggled.

"Yes, Patty, we know." Kid said patiently.

The distant squeak of a wheeled chair rolling down the hall signaled Stein's imminent arrival. The class subconsciously calmed down in anticipation while others got out their phones to take videos of his impending crash.

Unsurprisingly, the wheels of Stein's swivel chair caught on the divide from the hall to the classroom, toppling the chair and its occupant. Stein dusted himself off, righted his chair and wheeled it over to the lectern and sat back down.

"All right. Class is in session. I see everyone is here, except Ox and Havar who are on a mission, so let's get down to business." He said as he surveyed the classroom. "First, Miss Smith and Mister David[4], If you'd be so kind as to bring your phones down here. You'll get them back after class. And after I delete those videos." The two students rose and walked down the steps to the front of the class like prisoners to the gallows. No one had ever taken footage of Stein's daily arrival and been allowed to keep it.

Silently, the phones were placed before Stein and their owners returned to their seats, dreading picking up their phones later on.

"Next, I'd like to congratulate this class on following my instructions and not allowing Spirit or Kami find out about Maka and Soul's... secret. I just want to say that I'm disappointed, as I wanted to dissect someone."

Class-wide relief was replaced by mild terror as his sentence progressed.

"And finally, I'll be skipping attendance, so let's get right into the lecture. As you recall last time I was talking about the effects of the Kishin's madness..."

Class progressed as normally as possible. The class would probably need therapy later in life thanks to the details into which Stein went about the effects of madness on the human mind. A lot of the lecture included personal anecdotes, right down to who in the class he had felt the urge to dissect when Medusa had arranged for a madness-snake to be introduced into Marie.

The lunch bell rang its sweetest notes that day as several students were nearly crushed in the mad rush to leave the room and the instructor within it.

"Huh. Wonder if it was something I said..." Stein mused with a crank of his screw as he watched the dust cloud settle.

"Professor Stein?"

"Hm?" He turned and looked at Maka and Soul standing before him. "Ah, Maka, Soul, how are you?"

"Good." Maka answered. "Thanks for giving us the time to talk to my parents."

"Not a problem. I have to ask though, what was Spirit's reaction?"

"He passed out." Soul said with a snicker.

"I thought that would be about right. I assume everything went well otherwise?"

Maka nodded with a smile. "Yep. Mama knew as soon as she saw me, though. She let us worry all through dinner and then told us she knew."

Stein laughed heartily. "I knew I liked Kami. She has a flair for playing with people."

The teens recoiled slightly.

Steins topped laughing and looked at them, bemused. "What?"

* * *

><p>A dense fog had descended over the early morning streets of Tokyo's various towns that sat away from the city center.<p>

Ox Ford and Harvar Éclair walked down a misty street.

Aside from the occasional light burning in a house, no one was awake. The streets were eerily empty. The recent, horrific, string of deaths had seen to that.

"Well, this is dull." Ox stated. A grunt from Havar was his only response.

Ox checked his watch. "Guess I should have the other teams report in." Ox keyed the microphone on his lapel. "All teams report in."

"Team one here. We're three streets over from you. Haven't seen a soul in half an hour."

"Team two here. Half a mile North of you. Nothing to report."

"Team three. We have a woman approaching us. Hold on." A few tense moments passed. "No, not her. Wasn't wearing a mask."

"All right, everyone, keep on your routes. Call in any sightings. Team Lead out." Ox replaced the mic on his lapel and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Havar asked.

Ox sighed again. "Not really. I know we're near the top of the class and we're experienced in combat, but why do we have to babysit all of the second year students?"

Havar shrugged. "Victims of our own success."

Ox chuckled softly and pulled his coat closer to his body. "Well, at least they are using proper radio etiquette now."

Off to their left, there was a high, piercing scream that was cut off abruptly. The two stopped mid-stride, exchanged a glance and took off in the direction of the scream.

"Team Lead to all teams, we have a possible attack. Rally on my position. Out." His order was acknowledged as the other teams made their best speed towards him.

The pounded into the back alleys behind apartment complexes and houses for ten minutes until they found what they were looking for. The body of a young woman lay against a wall next to some trash cans. Her head lay in her hands and crimson blood dribbled down the wall behind her.

"Damn!" We're too late!" Ox cursed. Havar scanned the area, attempting to spot their prey as she fled the area.

"Team Lead to all teams, we have another victim, We were too late. I'll call the authorities, return to your routes."

"Team one, roger."

"Team two, understood."

Ox waited for team three's confirmation for thirty seconds.

"Team three, report."

More silence greeted him.

"Ivan, respond. If you're playing again, now is _not_ the time."

The silence was starting to get to Ox. _This is how it starts in a horror movie._

"Havar, where are they?"

Havar consulted the tablet computer that kept track of all of the team's tracking devices. "Ivan is stationary at this crossroad." He showed Ox. "Shanon is currently moving... toward us at a running speed."

"Damn. Team lead to teams one and two, converge on my location. Team three has split up for some reason. We're going to collect Shannon." The two teams acknowledged him, the beginnings of fear in their too-young voices.

Ox and Havar took off towards Shannon's tracker. They ran half a mile along the road at a fast pace.

"Nearly to her. Ahead and around the corner on the right." Havar stowed the tablet in his back pack with remarkable ease at a dead sprint. "She's still moving towards us. Slower now. She must be exhausted."

Ahead of them, they heard another scream. It was Shannon.

"Damn!" Ox breathed.

They rounded the corner and stopped dead. There stood a woman directly in front of Shannon who pressed herself against the wall behind her. What made them stop was the massive pair of scissors that were on either side of Shannon's neck.

Shannon turned head to look at her two upperclassmen. "Help me!" She cried, her voice cracking.

The woman hadn't looked at the newcomers. Her attention was on the girl before her. "Am I beautiful still?" She removed the mask from her face, revealing a mouth so wide that it literally went from ear to ear. The space beyond where her lips should end were jagged bloody.

Shannon looked into the horrific face before her. She tried to recoil from the woman before her, but the wall made that impossible.

"Well? Am I _pretty_?" The woman screamed.

"I... I don't know!" Shannon screamed.

"Stop now, Kichisake-onna!" Ox yelled as Havar transformed into his weapon form, resting in Ox's outstretched hand.

"Mmmm, two more young men!" The woman almost sounded happy, seeking their approval of her appearance.

"Team one here! We're attacking!" A voice crackled in Ox's ear.

"No! Don't attack her!" Ox screamed, unable to key his microphone in time.

However, it was too late. The weapon and meister of team one, an inexperienced, second year pair, jumped from the rooftop behind the woman.

The pre-Kishin followed Ox's eyes and looked at the young boy wielding an Oni club [4] over his head as he fell from the rooftop. Aleksander began to swing his weapon, Katya, down on the woman.

In one motion, the woman pulled another pair of massive scissors from her clothing and hurled it one handed at Aleksander. The boy batted it away easily. However, the swing threw him off balance and he landed on the ground with a disquieting crunch as his leg shattered and Katya fell from his grasp.

A second set of scissors whistled through the air at the now immobile Aleksander. He screamed and held his hands up instinctively to protect himself.

His short life ended as the scissors pierced his chest and ruptured his heart. Ten agonizing seconds passed before his mute, lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

Silence filled the street. The woman surveyed her handiwork as Katya reverted to her human form, some distance form Aleksander's body, unconscious. Shannon cried softly to herself.

Ox fought to control himself. If he attacked in rage now, the pre-Kishin might behead Shannon to free herself to defend against him. If he and Havar used some sort of lighting attack, the electricity could arc through the Kichisake-onna's body, down the scissors and into Shannon.

"Ox, team two in position." Syed, the meister of team two spoke in his ear. His weapon took the form of an M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR)[5], which he often used like a sniper rifle. He could possible kill the woman before she could behead Shannon.

Unable to reach his mic and not wanting to alert the woman something was coming, he simply nodded. Syed and Elena would see his approval. They were an excellent sniper team.

A resounding crack and a flash of pink light came from a rooftop several blocks ahead of Ox. He watched, dumbfounded as yet _another_ pair of scissors rose and deflected the shot.

How could she know it was coming? How strong was this woman?

"It seems like I'm the prettiest woman around! Everyone wants me!" The woman squealed with glee.

The scissors around Shannon's neck snapped closed.

Shannon's lifeless body slid down the wall, blood spouting from the severed arteries pumping blood to a brain that was no longer there.

Almost faster than his eyes could track, the woman grabbed Shannon's freshly liberated soul in one hand, ran over to Aleksander's fallen body, grabbed his soul and then bounded over a wall.

Syed fired several more shots at the woman over the course of her quick transit, all of which were deflected with ease. Ox used Havar to fire several bolts of lightning at her in quick succession, but all were dodged.

"Syed, Elena, get down here and watch out for her. We need to move soon." Ox said numbly over his radio.

He walked to a nearby shop window and scrawled "42 42 564" on it. Within moments, Lord Death appeared.

"Heya Ox! How's it goin'?"

"I've lost three members of my team and the Kichisake-onna has escaped." Ox said neutrally, feeling empty with shock. "Aleksander Günter, Ivan Doletskaya and Shannon McManus."

All joviality left Lord Death. "I'll send a recover team from the school consulate. Hang in there, Ox." The link died.

Ox turned back to the scene before him. Aleksander's corpse hadn't moved since it had fallen into a sitting position. Shannon's blood was pooling around her body against the wall. Her head lay on its side, several feet away from her. Her mouth was still open in terror and her unbelieving eyes stared at him.

"Half of my team..." He said in shock.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] I have <strong>_**no idea**_** what these things are called and a Google/Wiki search revealed nothing. I've got a feeling that you know what I'm talking about anyways.**

**[2] Named after Reginald C. Punnett. A method of mapping out genotypes in organisms. Google or Wiki it if you want to know more. **

**As a side note, given that both weapons and meisters seems to be rather rare, I'd guess that those genotypes are both recessive and since Maka is a meister and Soul is a weapon, you could represent it as mm and ww, giving combinations of: wm, wm, ww and mm. However, that's assuming that those are the only two possibilities and that they are even covered by the same set of genes.**

**I'll let the more bored/interested of you work that out, but I know how Emi is going to turn out and I say: screw the rules, I have PLOT! Mwahahahahaha! *ahem* Sorry. Sometimes having the ability to say "screw the rules" gets to my head.**

**[3] I've liked this urban legend for a long time. "Kichisake-onna" means "slit-mouthed" woman. Google or Wiki it.**

**[4] Pronounced "da-veed". Get the reference? Good. I like **_**NCIS**_** too. If not, WATCH THE DAMNED SHOW.**

**[5] I normally restrain myself from putting in things that I enjoy. The usual temptation is to make the characters like you and your friends, playing **_**Call of Duty**_** and listening to music that is somewhat out of character. However, with people taking on the form of all sorts of weapons and the precedent set for firearms, I thought I'd pay a quiet homage to my personal favorite rifle.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A challenger appears! **

**Well, this seems to have come back from a brink of boring dullness. I guess I couldn't stand to let the story fall into a pit of mediocrity and rot-your-teeth sweetness.**

**I'm rather happy with how the battle flowed. It was a little jerky when I was writing it, but I'm hoping that I managed to smooth it out enough for you to enjoy.**

**Inspiration for the fight wasn't too hard to come by, thankfully. Writing the dialogue with Lord Death was painful for me. It was hard to make him sound like himself instead of a mouthpiece for the plot.**

**Some of you may be a little unnerved by the graphic description and the battle itself, but more than anything, I returned the story to its roots. After all, "Your Guardian Soul" contained a rather lively fight that kicked the whole shebang off.**

**Don't worry, this is only a segment to liven the story up a bit. Nothing like avenging a few red shirts to spice up the story a little.**

* * *

><p><strong>AB: Yes, I know that it can take up to 12 hours for fertilization to complete, but if I followed that, the two would wake up with a vision rather than experiencing it when it happened.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 4:<strong>

**All: Thank you to everyone who commented on chapter 4. These are my responses to your comments. If you want to talk further, feel free to PM me. If you don't want my responses in the open for all to see, let me know.**

**Alik Takeda: We already talked about the chapter length, but I decided to try and make this one longer. It's not longer by much, but I hope the action made it worth it.**

**raelynn gross: Thanks for the confidence booster.**

**I think your concern about Spirit killing Soul was from the weird typo/parsing mistake that happened on the part of the website. See the note about that at the start of the chapter if you skipped it.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul14: Well, depending on the woman's circumstances and the doctor, it is entirely possible and acceptable for her to have sex while pregnant.**

**And honestly, I'm trying to break the pregnancy fic sterotypes. However, some things do tend to come with the territory, as I'm finding out.**

**Also, thank you **_**so much**_** for your ideas on Kami. I realized after I wrote her that I pretty much followed what you recomended.**

**NikolaiEvans115: Haha, well, "mindfuckery" is a common term where I spend most of my time when not studying (H8FK clan, Modern Warfare 2).**

**Also, while it **_**is**_** wrong form a legal standpoint for you to be reading the smut, I can't stop who reads this and I won't remove plot-smut for moral reasons. That's like sweeping up dust, but leaving the garbage piling up for sanitary reasons. Not to mention, when I was 15, I was looking for sexy stuff all over the internet too, so I can relate.**

**Emcronia: Time skips will DEFINITELY be happening. I can't bear the idea of writing 9 **_**months**_** worth of that sort of thing. I'd go insane and you'd all be bored to tears.**

**As far as the pregnancy being easy or not, I'm leaning towards easy. I figure about the worst that is going to happen is a **_**slightly**_** premature birth.**

**Coolgirl:**

**I've blocked anonymous reviewing because of you.**

**YOU WILL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT GODDAMNED CHAPTER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.**

**Get an account and we'll talk. Literally, via PM.**

**Otakugeek7: Glad you like the lemons. I try my best. Glad you think that I did Kami justice.**

**Wolf Melody: Thank you for looking over my stuff. That means a lot to me. I'm glad you like it so far. I hope this chapter was up to standards.**

**Yuukivampirefan: I was a bit concerned by Emi's name. I know it sounds off, but it also sounds just right to me. Dunno, we may have to agree to disagree on this point. However, I think that her name is short for Emily. That name has some significance to me, as it was supposed to be my name had I been born a girl. However, I forgot all of that until after I had picked her name and what it was short for.**


	6. Ominous Currents

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**_**  
><strong>_

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 6: Ominous Currents**

* * *

><p>As many couples are wont to do, Soul and Maka decided that Saturday night would be a good time to go on a date. The DWMA's Japanese-modeled system of education had Saturday scheduled as a regular school day, leaving only Sunday free. Many students griped and moaned upon entering the academy as they adjusted from the American Monday through Friday schedule.<p>

"So, what movie are we seeing?" Maka asked as they walked to the theatre from their apartment. She wore a semi-formal blue dress with her hair down.

"Dunno. My vote is for an action movie, but I'll see whatever you want. Even a chick flick." Soul answered with a grin. He wore a pair of khaki pants and a yellow polo shirt. He'd grudgingly dressed slightly nicer at Maka's request, but he refused to give up the flashy colors of his normal sweatshirt.

"Really? There's one I want to see too!"

"Then we'll see that." Soul said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His coolness would be taking a hit, but he wanted Maka to have fun too, which was cool by him, so it evened out.

Maka smiled. "Thank you Soul."

"Not a problem. Black Star wants to check out some ninja movie, so I'll get my action quota filled then."

They talked as they headed towards their destination. The two were enjoying themselves as they passed the time of the journey. Not a thing could put a damper on their night.

"Two for the chick flick." Soul said with a smile to the teenager behind the counter at the theatre. The guy smiled at Soul enviously when he saw Soul's date.

"Ok, that will cost you... let's see, your life savings and your firstborn child." The ticket master said jokingly. "However, I'll cut you a deal and make it $20."

Soul had initially started at the "firstborn child" joke and produced the money from his pocket before Maka could open her purse. "Thanks man. I owe you."

"Not a problem. Just know the MPAA doesn't like my discount." He took Soul's twenty and handed him the tickets. "Have a good one and enjoy the show."

"Why didn't you let me pay Soul?" Maka asked as they walked towards the theatre that was showing their movie.

"It's not cool to let the girl pay on a date, Maka." Soul said easily.

"Well, thank you." Maka said softly and pecked him on the cheek.

"Don't thank me. Thank our friends." He said with a mischievous smile.

"What?"

"That was some of the money that they had bet on us getting together. You took it from Kid when you gave him a concussion on Wednesday." Soul chuckled softly.

"Oh! I wondered what you had done with that..." Maka blushed recalling her display of outrage at her own friends.

"Saved it for a date. What else? You think I'd spend it on myself?" He smiled at her.

"No... I just wondered where you'd put it."

"A safe place for when the time was right."

They handed their tickets to the theatre employee at the entrance to their movie. "Enjoy the show!" She said.

"Any good?" Soul asked her as they walked past.

"Yes! It's so sweet. I've seen it a few times now. I hope you enjoy it."

Soul placed his arm around Maka again as he looked back at her. "I think we will." He smiled.

The room was full of couples. This was the fall's big date movie and every couple was mandated to see it by some higher power. Most of the males in the room looked bored, slightly bitter at being forced to see a chick flick or occupied themselves with their dates.

Not a few eyes tracked Maka and the possessively postured man who accompanied her.

Soul grinned in an "I have her, don't you wish you were me?" kind of way. He spotted a few couples from school there as well and waved before they took their seats.

"So, have you thought any more about telling your parents?" Maka asked after they had made themselves comfortable. Thankfully, the armrests were the variety that could be flipped back, allowing Maka to lean against her lover. She felt Soul stiffen.

"Not really. I just don't want to deal with that now." Soul said calmly.

"Ok... Just think about it, please? For me?"

Soul leaned down and kissed her softly. "Ok Maka. I will. Why are you so hung up on me telling them anyways?"

Maka fidgeted under his gaze. "I don't know. It just seems like the right thing to do. I know you don't get along well with them, but they still deserve to know that you're going to be a father."

Soul looked back at the advertisements on the screen. "Yeah. It's just going to bring a lot of drama and trouble that I don't want. I just want to enjoy myself and be with you. Enjoy the moment you know?" His gaze returned to her as he finished speaking.

Maka smiled sweetly. "You're really sweet sometimes."

Soul laughed softly. "I try. And 'sweet' is almost as good as 'cool'."

Maka pecked his lips softly as the lights dimmed and the previews began.

Soul sat with his arm over Maka's shoulder as the previews ran. He checked the urge to groan at the previews, which were almost exclusively for more romantic movies. He felt as though his teeth would rot from the sappy sweetness and paper-thin drama that the trailers promised. He found some solace in the cynical knowledge that the movie industry customized previews to the movie's audience. He would endure this for Maka's sake. He wanted her to be happy, so he'd struggle through.

The movie wasn't bad, surprisingly enough. It was a cut above the run of the mill chick flicks that populate TV channels. He held Maka and kissed her at the sad sections of the movie and they'd shared conspiratorial glances during the PG-13 sex scenes.

"So, what'd you think?" Maka asked as they walked with the crowd from the theatre.

"Not bad, surprisingly enough. I just can't stand how they don't say what they mean and just say things that can be misunderstood." Soul had resumed his easy gait, arm around Maka's waist. "Then again, they need that to make the tension and situations that get resolved with sappy talk and 'happily ever after' endings.[1]"

Maka seemed a little let down that he had been bored enough to analyze the movie. "Well, people want ideal stuff. No one has ever just met, gotten along and lived happily ever after without a fight or misunderstanding."

Soul let the act drop for a second. "I wasn't knocking the movie, Maka. It was good. I was just griping that they have to use those tactics to make the movie romantic. And I forget sometimes that not everyone has the ability to sense and resonate their souls. Now, _that_ is intimate." He smiled at her.

Maka perked back up a bit. "I'm glad you liked it. So, what now?"

Soul's stomach rumbled loudly. He looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, I had planned on going to dinner. Seems my stomach agrees."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I was thinking Joe's." Soul smiled broadly.

Maka stopped mid-stride and looked at Soul with wide eyes. "Joe's? As in Joe's Fusion?"

Soul nodded. "The one and only."

Maka propelled herself into Soul with surprising speed. She wrapped her arms around him and looked into his eyes. "Thank you!"

"Hey, I know you like their food. Not too often you eat Chines and Mexican food at the same time."[2]

"Yeah! That's why I like it." Maka started dragging Soul in the direction of Joe's.

Spirit had taken there with her mother for their first dinner as a family in years when Kami had agreed to see him again. Ever since then, Maka had loved the strange and counterintuitive fusion of Chinese and Mexican cuisines.

Soul laughed as he was towed along by Maka to her favorite restaurant in Death City, talking about all of the dishes that she had tried and wondering what she should have this time.

* * *

><p>Joe's Fusion was an amazing place. The lower than normal ceiling and warm, dim lighting gave the place a feeling of comforting seclusion. The decor of the place was a similar fusion of the food served there. The walls and ceilings were made to look like brown adobe while Chinese and Mexican art and statues were placed about. Instead of feeling as schizophrenic as it actually was, the designer had managed to pull off wonders and make the restaurant a perfect reflection of its product.<p>

Soul had made reservations and the two were immediately seated at an out of the way table in a slightly dimmer corner of the dining room. Even though the place was packed, largely due to the advertising campaign built upon years of jokes about "Eat at Joe's!", the two felt like they were the only ones in the restaurant.

The two talked and enjoyed themselves all through dinner. Maka gushed about the food, which Soul agreed with her on. He'd only eaten here a few times before, usually with their entire group of friends, and he'd been amazed every time. It was nice to be able to focus on his taste buds rather than Black Star yelling about how the tacos were awesome and how he'd have to face the cook on his way to surpassing God. That was about the closest thing that Black Star would ever get to a complement to someone else's prowess, even if it was for cooking.

Soul ordered dessert for the two of them after the meal. It was a curious ginger-infused fried ice cream. He got it every time, even if he was about to explode from eating too much. Once more, Maka launched into why she loved the food and how well the two parent cultures gave rise to an awesome "bastard child".

Soul jumped a little at her words. It wasn't so much what she was talking about, but the words "bastard child". He recalled Spirit's words from the night before and thought about them. He reviewed his own thoughts and nodded to himself.

"Soul? Are you ok?" Maka asked, concerned at his instant silence after she'd spoken.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah. I was just thinking."

"What about?" The concern was still in her voice, lingering because of his faraway tone and still semi-distant look.

Soul looked deep into Maka's eyes across the table. "Us." He said simply. "Emi."

Maka blushed slightly and returned his gaze.

Soul reached into his pocket, eyes still locked on hers. He produced a small, square, felt-coated box. He placed it on the table, halfway between them.

Maka's blush deepened as she watched him place the box in front of her. "S-Soul? What, what i-is that?"

Soul smiled, enjoying her confusion, surprise and nervousness. It did wonders to help him forget the fact that his stomach felt like it was in freefall.

"Listen, Maka, I'm not good at this sort of thing. I've uh, never done this before." Maka looked back at Soul with wide eyes brimming with tears and a slightly opened mouth. Soul gulped, seeing her reaction. _Is she scared? Does she think that I'm going too fast? What do I do now? Keep going and see if she rejects me? Dammit! I really wish I had talked to someone about this..._

Maka's eyes pleaded for him to ask the question that he was trying to force out of his mouth. _This is big. I've got to get it together! Why am I nervous? I love Maka. I'd die to protect her._

"Maka... would you... will you..." _Ah shit. Screw it._ "Maka, will you marry me?"

It seemed that Soul's words had either been louder than he had realized or his voice just carried very well in the restaurant. Half of the guests in Joe's stopped, having heard a marriage proposal and wanted to see what would happen. The other half that was too far away to hear Soul noticed that the other half was dead silent and looking at the pair of teenagers in the corner and stopped talking to figure out what was going on. A fork on the far side of the dining room hit a glass as it was being set down and the small sound punched far above its weight, sounding like a jet breaking the sound barrier in the silence.

Tears welled in Maka's eyes and began to roll down her stunned face. Her eyes jumped between Soul and the open box. She looked at Soul, then at the small diamond set in a slender silver ring.

Soul's mind overthought itself into a chaos resembling the New York Stock Exchange in a bull market. Thoughts screamed over the others trying be heard while his emotions ran through the crowd like imps, stealing wallets and trying shoelaces.

The inward chaos was to intense that the weapon barely registered Maka taking the ring from its box and slipping it onto her left ring finger. The madness was finally silenced and dispelled with one simple word.

"Yes." Maka whispered, smiling as she wiped the tears from her face. "Yes." Her voice returned and she spoke with confidence and joy. "I love you, Soul."

Soul beamed at Maka, all of his fear and doubts replaced with absolute joy. "I love you too, Maka." He leaned across the table and kissed her softly.

The guests and waiters broke into cheers and applause and cries of "Congratulations!" as they kissed.

Soul sat back down in his chair, his legs had felt weak and his body was shaking. The adrenaline had worn off and taken much of his strength in its wake.

Their waiter approached slowly, as if afraid that he was intruding. The rest of the patrons had returned to their meals and conversations, but the man wasn't sure if her wanted to be a buzz kill on their happiness. Soul saw the man and nodded to him.

"Congratulations you two." He smiled and walked away after handing Soul the bill.

Once more, before Maka could react, he took a large bill from his wallet and placed it in the folder.

"Well? Wanna go home?" Soul smiled in a way that told Maka that he wanted to get back to the apartment and celebrate with her. Clothing was optional.

Maka returned the smile. Clothing was _not_ an option.

As they walked past the maître d', who congratulated them like everyone else they had passed, Soul felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Maka waslked a few paces ahead of him, staring happily at the ring on her finger.

Soul fumbled with his phone and pulled it out as he entered the cool night air. It was Kid.

"Dammit. Buzz kill." He muttered to himself as he answered the phone. "What's up kid?" His tone irritated.

"Soul, something has happened in Tokyo. We're being called in by Father." Kid was matter of fact, but something had him on edge.

"What's going on, Kid?"

"Ox and Havar were in Tokyo with three teams of second years tracking down the Kuchisake-onna. They've been in-country for a few days now and were finally closing in on her."

Soul felt his pulse speed up. This wasn't going to be good.

"They heard an attack and found the most recent victim. She was gone by the time they got there. At some point, the pre-Kishin found one of Ox's teams..."

_Oh shit._

"One of them, the meister, was killed immediately. His weapon managed to flee and run towards Ox and Havar. By the time they found her, the woman had her pinned to a wall. One of the other second year pairs attacked and the meister was killed as well. In response, the woman killed the weapon from the first pair and managed to escape." Kid paused, waiting for inevitable question.

"Who were they?" Soul asked, his heart plummeting. Three students killed on a single mission. This was the worst incident since the DWMA attacked the island of Brew.

"Aleksander Günter, Ivan Doletskaya and Shannon McManus."

Soul's stomach fell and his heart clenched. "I helped with their training. I was their group mentor last year."[3] He couldn't force himself to speak in anything but monotone.

Maka had stopped and looked Soul when he had answered his phone. The uneasiness in his soul wavelength had made her concerned. Now she was truly worried.

"Ox, Havar and the survivors were picked up by backup from the local consulate shortly after it happened. We only now got the full details. Father asked me to come in when Ox called him. He wanted my opinion on what team to send next. Now that we know the extent of the battle and how powerful the Kuchisake-onna has become, we're the ones who are being sent."

"Alright. When do we leave?"

"As soon as you, Maka, Tsubaki and Black Star arrive. Ox and Havar will join us once we get there."

"How's Ox taking this?" Soul asked.

"As well as you'd think. He's blaming himself and he and Havar want revenge. We'll have to watch them, but we need them to accompany us because they're the only ones who've fought her that won't be a liability in battle."

"Alright. We'll be there soon."

"See you soon, Soul." Kid killed the connection.

Soul closed his phone and stood with his head down. He fought the urge to throw his phone or scream out dramatically.

"Dammit!"

"What's wrong Soul?"

"We're going to Japan. That pre-Kishin that Lord Death told us about struck again."

"Who was hurt?" Maka asked, assumed no one had been killed. There were few deaths on missions lately because most of them were against the scattered and disorganized remnants of Arachnophobia.

Soul looked up, grief-stricken. "Three students were killed."

Maka gasped. "Who?"

"Three second years. Aleksander, Ivan and Shannon."

"What? How?" Pain and loss filler Maka's words. She too had worked on their training.

"That damned bitch cornered and killed Ivan. Shannon got away for a bit and then was caught. Aleksander died trying to rescue her and then she was killed."

Soul started walking towards their apartment, Maka next to him. "So Lord Death is sending us." Maka's tone began to take on a steely edge. She wanted revenge. _Good, so do I._

"Yeah. We leave as soon as we meet with the others. Ox and Havar are waiting for us."

They walked quickly back to their apartment and changed to their usual dress and packed only a few day's worth of clothing. They wouldn't need much more than that. They'd either win quickly or be killed. Come home with your shield or on it.[4]

Soul locked the door to their apartment, spun the key chain around his finger and walked down the steps. Maka sat leaning on his motorcycle as she waited for him. Without a word she donned her helmet, handed him his and mounted the bike. The oversized engine roared to life, filling the dim street with sound and waking the neighbors. Without a glance back, they tore off through the empty streets towards the school.[5]

* * *

><p>The manically laughing moon looked down on them with the same disinterest as always. The only difference was that this time the moonlight glinted off of a shiny silver band around Maka's ring finger as she held onto Soul on their short ride.<p>

Soul drove down the empty streets on autopilot. His mind was too full of his new mission. He wanted to avenge his fallen friends as much as Ox or Havar. He had spent an entire school year working with those three teams.

_I wonder how Katya is taking Aleksander's death. Those two were really close._

Images of the time that he had spent with those young students passed before his eyes. He remembered meeting them and the awe that they had held for him. Having a Death Scythe as a mentor was almost unheard of. He saw them working to focus and resonate their souls with those of their partners. He saw them playing around, undermining his speeches and lessons with ridiculous questions just to trip him up. He remembered all the times they had come to him with their problems.

He had been a mentor to six impressionable, young minds and taught them as much as he could. Only so much could be taught in exercises and practice. They had all been good meisters and weapons in their class.

And three of them had died.

Soul felt that he was as responsible for their deaths as the Kichisake-onna who had cut them down and ended their promising lives earlier.

A rogue memory entered his mind unbidden. Once, during a training session, Aleksander had recklessly jumped from a tree and tried to attack Maka. His meister had easily parried the blow and knocked the boy to the dirt.

"You can't attack like that, Aleks." Soul had said upon returning to his normal form. "An attack like that leaves you vulnerable. You can put all the power you want into that attack, but if it misses, you're open." Soul had smiled and smugly added, "Do that in a real fight and it will get you killed. And that's not cool."

A simple joke made in passing came back to bite him. The memory carried potent venom. He found himself fighting tears of shame and loss from brimming in his eyes as he sped on to the school.

Hanging onto his back, Maka pressed herself closer to Soul. She could feel that he was beating himself up for the deaths of their mentees. She too felt the pain, but she was more engrossed with thinking of how they would go about tracking, hunting and killing this pre-Kishin before anyone else could be taken from the world.

_Just remember, you can't rashly attack. There's two souls in you now._ She told herself.

Maka focused on her own thoughts as they rode. She'd have to take better care of her defense now. No more walking up to porcupines for a hug like the time she'd "defeated" Crona and Ragnarok. She took solace knowing that Soul would do everything he possibly could to keep her safe.

Soul killed the engine and dismounted the motorcycle in front of the school. He secured the helmets to the bike and mounted the steps, Maka in his wake. The girl stopped a few steps below him when he stopped abruptly.

"Hey, Maka."

"Yeah Soul?"

"When we get home, I'll tell my parents about us and Emi." Soul's voice was unreadable. "Deal?"

"Thank you, Soul."

Without another word, Soul continued up the steps. The great front doors of the school opened for them like the maw of a gigantic beast.

They closed with a resounding, finalistic boom like that of a coffin lid.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Author on motherfucking board here. TV Tropes will reveal what "author on board" means.<strong>

**[2] Ok, this was an issue. I COULD NOT think of a kind of food or restaurant that Maka would want to go to as badly as she did. The restaurant itself was inspired by the China Pablano in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. I remembered that the Cosmo had the atmosphere that I wanted, so hopefully any place in there would be what I needed, so I poked around to see what kinds of restaurants that they had. I saw the China Pablano and knew I had a winner.**

**Initially I had been torn over Italian, Chinese or Mexican foods, but dismissed all three. I already used Italian for one. Chinese food is a common favorite food of Maka's in fanfics because the authors themselves like Chinese food, so I dismissed Chinese food as well. Mexican had some appeal, given that Death City is in Nevada, but I decided it might be a bad idea for the proposal.**

**In the end, I thought about my issue with Chinese more and realized that Chinese is a common favorite of Maka's because the authors like it. However, most of those authors are American. Which Maka is too. So if Chinese is a common favorite, it might just be hers as well. And I realized that I'm writing this bitch, so I can make the restaurant as swank as I fucking want. **

**[3] Another facet of the DWMA that I'm making up as I go. You'd have to assume that since students face death and injury on their missions, that they would occasionally or full-time be put under the mentorship of upperclassmen who'd been there and done that.**

**[4] The mindset of the Spartan warriors of ancient Greece. The wives of Spartan warriors would say that to their husbands before they left to go off to war. And yes, it was famously used in **_**300**_**, but I wasn't drawing it from that. I just think that it fits their current mindset very well.**

**[5] I initially intended to end the chapter here, but I realized that "We trained them" wasn't enough of a reason for Soul and Maka to take the students' deaths so hard, so I needed some more exposition and flashback to make it a little more realistic.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I am all about the buzz kill lately it seems. I'm not a fan of pulling an all out Full Shamylon on people, but the occasionally twisty road is good. It keeps the readers on their toes and shows how things interact with each other. Not to mention that life has a tendency to group tragedy with blessing.**

**I'm hoping that the majority of you were caught by relative surprise for the proposal. I made it a little more obvious with each line leading up to the actual proposal, but I left one hell of a big neon sign above the fact that it would happen.**

**I think that I might have ended this chapter on the to-date darkest note. Not sure if this beats the ending of Chapter 5 or not.**

**Thank you to the three of you who managed to send in some suggestions as to what Maka's favorite food is. Talking with Hellocloser got me thinking on the Chinese food thing, so a massive thanks to... well him or her, profile doesn't specify gender and I'm not good at deciding a person's gender by talking over the interblag with text.**

* * *

><p><strong>AB: I was so damned pissed off when I hit my writer's block wall. I couldn't use Italian because I've used it before as the culinary peace offering, that and diversity is something I try and put into the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 5 and Temporary Chapter 6:<strong>

**NikolaiEvans115: I'm glad that you liked the action sequence. And yes, I do have a bit of experience writing combat scenes. I tend to do better at those than writing lemony-scented content. And the Raffica and 1911 are pretty damned BA, but my love resides with the Beretta Px4 Storm Type F, .45 flavor.**

**raelynn gross: I think that Kid might be a better Ducky, even if he's not a doctor. Stein might be Vance, if only for his secret keeping.**

**Alik Takeda: Yes! : ) By the way, read that in Mermaid Man's voice.**

**bluenian98: I try to throw some curveballs in now and again.**

**cheeriolord: Glad you enjoy this series so far. I was trying to think of a decent enemy that I could over-amp and looked to the series for inspiration. All of the enemies were distortions of legends and myth. The Kuchisake-onna was a good candidate for that, so she was used.**

**Emcronia: You are so very correct, as this chapter proves!**

**MusicSoundsMySoul14: I generally don't look at people's profiles, so I'm just as surprised as you are about the OC who ended up like Marie Antoinette as you were.**

**Maka67, xXxMaryssaxXx : I plan to write more. I will post when I am unable to continue due to school. I write because people like it, and I don't need to be reminded to keep writing.**

**I know I'm coming off as an asshole right now, but I am beyond tired of reviews that tell me to do the obvious. If you liked or disliked something, I want to know what you have to say, but please, don't keep telling me to continue with my hobby. I do this for me as much as I do it for my readers.**

**Xireana, Sutemi: You didn't read what I put down as requirements very hard, huh?**


	7. Rock, Paper, Scissors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**_**  
><strong>_

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 7: Rock, Paper, Scissors**

* * *

><p>Soul looked back at the massive front doors of the DWMA. "Damn. Do they always close that ominously?"<p>

Maka walked past him. "You're imagining things. Let's go."

Soul's eyes stayed on the doors for a moment."Yeah." He turned and followed Maka as she made her way towards the Death Room where Lord Death was waiting for them. "Right."

In the hallway made of guillotines, Kid leaned against one of the pillars, his expression distant. He looked in their direction when he heard their approaching footsteps. "Good, you're here. Father and Professor Stein are waiting with the others." He was matter-of-fact.

_Kid's either nervous or just has his game face on. Can't tell which._ Soul mused as Kid fell in next to him and Maka. They walked together for a short time in silence.

"How close were you to those students?" Kid asked, his tone was respectful, not wanting to rub salt in wounds.

"We worked with them for eight months almost every day." Maka said in irritation. "We were very close." She fixed Kid with a glare.

"I understand that. The girls and myself were also paired with several teams last year. I can't begin to imagine how you're feeling, but the mission-"

Maka cut him off. "You're right. You don't know how Soul or I feel right now. The mission comes first, but that doesn't mean that we can't have our revenge. I want that, that _thing_ to pay."

"Maka, I understand that but-"

"Kid, just leave it be, man." Soul interrupted him. "We're not blind. We have a mission. We'll do it. We aren't going to pull a Black Star and mindlessly charge." His toned softened. "Besides, Maka's health and safety are my top concern. Nothing will happen to her. We'll do our job."

Kid said nothing. He hid his annoyance at his friends for not letting him speak. He'd had stirring words prepared for them to help soothe their anger and inspire them, but that was thrown out the window. He was more disappointed because the speech, if written down properly, was symmetrical not only in layout, but letter usage.

"_There_ you guys are!" Black Star shouted as the finally reached Lord Death's main "office". The ninja walked towards them and received a high five from Soul, only without the normal smile and greeting.

"Soul, Maka. Good of you to make it." Lord Death greeted them. His usual cheer was deflated somewhat.

"Reporting as ordered." Maka replied. Soul merely stood next to her with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Good to see you guys too." Liz grumbled, having been ignored.

"We'll start in a moment, everyone. Stein had something to get from his office. We'll start when he arrives." Lord Death explained to the group.

An uneasy silence filled the chamber. Joking and laughing seemed hardly appropriate in light of their reason for meeting at the late hour. Maka and Soul sat next to each other on the short steps to the raised dais where Lord Death stood speaking to Kid. Black Star sat quietly, no doubt psyching himself up for their mission as Tsubaki stood awkwardly by his side. Liz and Patty were speaking softly off to one side.

The squeaking of wheels announced Stein's imminent arrival. Anticipating his usual spill on some crack in the floor, hardly anyone turned to watch, having seen it a hundred times that month. However, Stein surprised everyone by forcing his chair to _jump_ the few steps to the raised platform in the center of the room. His feat was met with stunned silence.

"Yes?" The scientist asked as he absently turned the screw in his head.

"How did you-? Why do you always-? Nevermind." Black Star gave up trying to find out why their professor had chosen that time to demonstrate his office chair agility.

"Well everyone, let's begin." Lord Death said as he walked to the center of his platform. "As you all know by now, Ox Ford and Havar Éclair were in Tokyo tracking down a pre-Kishin known as the Kichisake-onna with three teams of second year students. They were attacked by their target and three students were killed."

Everyone had known what had happened, but hearing it from Lord Death himself somehow made it official. A chill swept into the room as his words hit home.

"The strength of the Kichisake-onna is far greater than we had realized." Stein began. "Which is why we are pulling no punches. Your three teams are some of the most experienced and qualified in the DWMA. Your teams, along with two teams of instructors, are going to Japan in order to put this woman down for good."

None of them had been told that instructors would be joining them on their mission.

"Professor Stein? Who are the instructors that are coming with us?" Maka asked.

"Sid and Nygus and Kami and Spirit." Stein answered in deadpan.

"Maka's mom and old man are coming?" Black Star tried not to laugh.

"That is correct, Black Star." Lord Death answered. "They are there as backup. I want you seven, along with Ox and Havar, to complete this mission. However, I'm taking no chances this time. At the first sign that the Kichisake-onna is too strong, the backup teams will join you and finish her off."

"Woah, she's _that_ powerful?" Black Star said in awe and anticipation.

Lord Death thought for a moment. "Well, if we used a system to gauge a soul's strength, hers would likely be over eight thousand."

"What? Eight thousand?[1] I'm totally gonna whoop her ass on my way to surpassing God!" Black Star laughed in the cocky, self-sure way that only he could.

"Enough fucking around!" Everyone jumped as Soul shouted. "When are we going to leave so we can kill this bitch?" The weapon's red eyes seemed to glow as he looked disdainfully from person to person. Maka mirrored his anger and impatience.

"Hm? What's gotten into you two?" Stein asked casually from his chair, a long tail of ash hanging from his cigarette.

"Students died and you're making jokes!" Maka's face was red with anger. "Show some respect!"

"Ah yes, that's right. You two were mentors to those three teams." Stein turned his screw as he thought. He turned to look at Reaper behind him. "Lord Death?"

The Grim Reaper jumped as he was pulled form his own thoughts on Soul and Maka's outburst. "Yes, Stein? What is it?"

"Do you think that it's wise to send an emotionally compromised team, one with a soul growing within her, on this mission?" Stein sounded as though he were preening and being dead serious at the same time.

"Hm... No. It's probably not a good idea."

Maka's righteous outrage fell in an instant. _We're being left behind? Because I'm mad that three of my friends died? Because I'm pregnant?_

"However, we can't afford to leave a Death Scythe and his meister behind in this case. If this pre-Kishin is as powerful as it appears, then one Death Scythe might not be enough."

"Understood sir." Stein replied, his tone neutral as he turned back around to face the students.

"Well everyone, the plane is being prepared as we speak. The plane will be leaving from the private terminal as soon as you board. Speed is of the essence now."

A mixed chorus of "Yes sir." was Lord Death's response.

The group began to grab their bags and move towards the long hallway of arches. They were unusually silent; it wasn't often that Maka was angered enough to shout at them in such a hostile fashion. Granted, she would routinely yell, but hardly with such conviction, without tears and with her eyes filled with genuine anger. The real shock had been Soul. The weapon was ordinarily aloof and kept quiet, admonishing and scolding in a growl. Even Black Star couldn't recall the last time that Soul had acted like that.

"Soul. Maka. I'd like to talk to you." Lord Death called after them as they began to leave. The entire group stopped and looked back at Reaper, wondering what he was going to saw. "Alone." The hint was taken and the others hastened away, only Black Star looking back, wondering if he could sneak back in, but decided against it. Lord Death was in a weird mood and wouldn't like that much.[2]

"Yes sir?" Maka asked as evenly as she could manage.

"I know that you two are having a tough time right now. But the mission comes first. If you accomplish that and work with your teammates, you will have your revenge. Don't charge headfirst into something that will happen anyways.

"Revenge is not something to be sought, you two. I know that very well. I was forced to turn a former student's skin into a prison. You'll get what you want, but be patient, ok?"

The softness of Lord Death's words was surprising to the pair. Being scolded or outright yelled at by him was the norm for an infraction, and advice was given in the form of jokes and riddles. Neither of them had ever heard the Grim Reaper speak so plainly or in such a heartfelt way.

"Just be careful you two. You're going to be defending more than your own lives this time. Remember that." Stein's relaxed posture belied the concern in his words.

"Now shoo! The others are waiting for you! Just don't forget what I said!" Lord Death seemd to have regained some of his usual pep.

"Thank you both." Soul said as he turned to walk away.

"Soul, the next time you use that sort of language in this room, I'll give you a Reaper Chop."

Lord Death's words seemed to roll off of Soul's back. "Got it." He didn't even turn back.

Stein and the Reaper watched the two lovers leave.

"Did you notice the ring on Maka's finger?" Stein asked as he exhaled smoke.

"I thought that I had imagined that."

"Platinum too. Wonder if she still thinks its silver?" He took another drag on his cigarette, watching the shrinking backs of his students.

"Ah... Now things make sense. I thought Soul was still eating instant ramen because he liked it." Lord Death chuckled as he understood the Death Scythe's financial situation.

"Oh no, he likes it. That ring cost far more than he could have saved since their last mission. He doesn't like spending his money it seems. Frugality is a virtue... or... something."

"Oh ho!" Lord Death leaned down towards Stein conspiratorially, his tone muted. "How much did that ring cost then?"

"You know the 'three month rule'?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Square it."[3]

Pratfalls weren't normally in Lord Death's list of things he'd do, but he did one perfectly. Stein merely exhaled again, staring distantly at the now empty hallway.

* * *

><p>"So, you guys get in trouble or something?" Liz asked. Their friends had waited outside the door to the Death Room for them.<p>

"Kind of." Soul said as he placed his hands behind his head with a scowl.

Maka smiled slightly at him. "More like advice."

"Hold on, Father gave you _advice_ and you know it already? It normally takes twenty minutes for me to realize it. He must be worried." Kid went from stunned to impressed to concerned.

"Don't worry. We're good. Sorry I went off on you guys like that. Wasn't too cool of me."

Black Star approached Soul and punched him on the shoulder with a grin. "No worries, we're cool bro."

"Um, shouldn't we be going?" Tsubaki asked as she looked at her watch.

"We're going on a plane!" Patty shouted, for no apparent reason to no one in particular. [4]

All eyes turned to the younger Thompson sister who became embarrassed. Patty crossed her arms and pouted slightly. "It's true..."

"Yes it is, sis." Liz put an arm around her sister, who cheered up immediately.

"What are you guys waiting for? You get to ride on a private jet with the biggest man on Earth!" Black Star charged off in the direction of the doors, leaving his friends shaking their heads with a smile and following in his wake.

* * *

><p>"Remind me again how the school pays for a jet like this." Soul asked as he unbuckled himself from his overstuffed leather seat.<p>

"Shrewd investments, federal grants, donations and the United Nations Soul Committee."[5] Kid answered with a smile.

"Explains where my pay check comes from." Soul said absently as he looked around the plushly furnished jet.

"Newest model of Gulfstream. Father and I had it customized, hence the symmetry. It comfortably seats sixteen people, real wood paneling and leather upholstery. Father added his touches as well."

"Like the separate seating areas for instructors and students?" Maka asked.

"Like that."

"So my parents aren't back here with us by school rules?"

"Father said that he wanted the students to be able to relax on long flights without worrying about being under the eyes of instructors. Likewise, he wanted to give the instructors somewhere to be away from students so they can relax and not worry about being overheard by students." Kid explained.

"Why, then, do we have a bar in the students section?"

"Holy crap! It's got _two_ bars!" Black Star shouted as he ran to one and tried to open it. "The hell? Why's it locked?"

"Father uses the jet to transport friends and school personnel." Kid shouted to Maka over Black Star's exuberance.

Tsubaki looked at her meister with a small smile. "Most of us are minors. Do you think Lord Death wouldn't have it locked?"

"There's gotta be something that they left out!" Black Star began to open cabinets and cupboards around the bad. "What's this?"

The ninja pulled a piece of paper out of a cabinet and read it. Color drained from his face as he read the note. Suddenly he crumpled the note, tossed back his head, opened his mouth and _ate_ the note. He shakily walked to his seat, sat down, buckled himself in and turned the swiveling chair towards the window.

After a few moments of silence, Liz spoke. "Um... What?"

Kid began to laugh hysterically. Between fits of laughter, the words "Stein's note!" could be heard.

Soul and Maka exchanged a look. "The hell?"

"'This message will now self destruct by being dissolved by acid in your stomach'." Black Star quoted quietly, still facing the window. [6]

* * *

><p>They flew in comfort for an hour before landing in Los Angeles for the jet's fuel to be topped off. They were to land again in five and a half hours in Honolulu for refueling before the final five and a half hour flight to Narita airport in Tokyo.<p>

The flight would take a total of twelve hours, with two hours spent on the ground for refueling. Having left Death City around midnight, they would arrive in Japan at four in the morning _the next day_, thanks to the International Date Line.

Jet lag isn't a fitting enough word for what the students would soon be feeling.

Soul sat in the corner of a couch that pulled up from the floor listening to music on his MP3 player, looking at the window across from him. There was nothing to see outside the window but blackness as they flew over the moonlit Pacific Ocean.

Maka lay on the couch next to him, resting her head on his thigh. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for the last hour or so. Soul smiled at her whenever her eyes opened and looked up at him. She would smile sleepily back and then look at her left hand and the ring on her finger, as though she was afraid that their engagement had been a dream.

Soul noticed Liz's lips moving as she spoke to Maka. After years of having people talk to him with his headphones on, Soul had gotten quite adept at reading lips.

_'Why do you keep looking at your hand Maka? You got a cut or something? I can't see with half the lights off.'_

_Oh God. Here comes the questions and the girls squealing..._ Soul groaned inwardly as he prepared to take off his headphones for the coming conversation. _And Kid will probably realize that's not silver. Then Maka will get mad at me for spending so much._

Maka sat up on the couch. "Oh, uh yeah. Take a look." Soul heard her say as he removed the headphones.

"Hm... _No way!_" Liz shouted.

_They say the one you don't hear is the one that kills you, right?_

"What's wrong Liz?" Tsubaki asked as she walked over.

"Look at Maka's finger!"

Maka shyly held out her hand for her friend to see.

"Um... Isn't this a ring?"

_3... 2... 1..._

"What?" Black Star and Kid shouted in unison before running over.

"Dude, Soul, you proposed." Black Star looked soberly at Soul. "Your life's over."

"What the hell do you mean?" Soul asked indignant for a reason he couldn't place.

"Kiss the bachelor life goodbye man." The ninja sounded like he was talking to a condemned man.

"What are you talking about? I've lived with Maka for _years_! You think that I'm going to turn into some whipped yuppie or something?"

"Dude, _everyone_ says that when they get engaged."

"Where are you getting this from? You're, what, half a year older than me? Besides, you've lived with Tsubaki for years too, even before you started dating. You haven't changed at all!"

"Well, I'm the exception of course! I'm the-"

"'Man who will surpass god.'" Everyone, minus Kid and the still sleeping Patty, finished.

"We know man." Soul said soothingly. Black Star looked like he'd had the life taken out of him, having been denied his favorite saying.

"Hmm. Maka, may I see your ring for a moment?" Kid asked, looking questioningly at the ring.

"Uh, sure." Maka slipped the ring off, confused by Kid's demeanor.

"What, you think it's fake?" Liz joked.

"Hm..." Death the Kid held the ring up to the light as he examined it.

_Here it comes..._ Soul groaned inwardly.

"Excellent, round cut... excellent symmetry... nearly clear and almost totally colorless. What, Soul, one carat or so?"

Soul felt every open eye in the cabin looking at him. "Uh, one-point-oh-two, actually."

"An excellent diamond. You had a good teacher or spent time online." Kid said approvingly as he handed the ring back to Maka, who beamed at Soul and gave him a soft kiss.

"And I love the band ." Maka said as she looked at it in the dim light. "I've always liked silver over gold..."

Kid nearly choked. "Silver?" He nearly shouted. "Maka, that's platinum."

Soul's heart stopped.

Maka's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Liz and Tsubaki were similarly staring at the ring.

Black Star looked confused.

"Soul..." Maka began, her voice thin. "You got me a _platinum ring_ and you let me bring it on a _mission_? A mission where it could easily be damaged or _destroyed_?" She slowly turned her head, locking eyes with him. Her expression told him that she couldn't believe that he had gotten her something so expensive and hadn't told her,

"Sorry, Maka... things kind of... uh... got busy. I forgot to tell you."

His meister's expression softened considerably as she leaned in to kiss him. Unsurprisingly, the cluster of their friends around them moved away awkwardly, feeling like they were suddenly intruding the two were kissing.

"Why's everyone being so loud?" Spirit rubbed his eyes as he opened the divider between the student and instructor sections of the jet. He'd clearly been woken up by their conversation.

Maka pulled back from the kiss quickly. "Hi Papa." She said cheerfully. Soul forced a smile that made him look more like her was in pain.

_Oh shiiiit..._

Soul watched as Spirit's eyes took in the cabin. They wandered from face to face and then caught something glinting in the half-light. On instinct, he looked at the brightly shining object.

A ring.

An engagement ring.

On his daughter's finger.

An engagement ring on his daughter's finger.

Spirit's newfound maturity regarding Maka and her relationship with Soul had been forgotten back in Death City. Along with his toothbrush.

_This is going to be a long flight._ Soul thought absently in the small gap of time while Spirit mentally carried the one.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] No, that wasn't a typo or mistake, the original Japanese version of <strong>_**Dragon Ball Z**_** was "It's over 8,000!", and the translators fucked it up. The more you know.**

**And no, I don't feel bad for a shameless DBZ shout-out.**

**[2] Even Black Star can experience moments of maturity and common sense. Go figure.**

**[3] The "three month rule" is bullshit in my opinion. Only someone shallow as a fucking flattened spoon would equate a man spending a full fourth of his yearly income on a piece of jewelry that will only be worn for a short time before its replaced with a wedding band. However, when a man wants to show some commitment, he may adhere to this rule on his own.**

**As for Soul, he's got insanely rich parents who likely do what parents with that kind of cash do: pay for their kid's needs to allow them to study. If his financial needs like rent and food are covered, he has his Death Scythe income sitting around. Soul's a sensible guy, so he'd save it for something that he would really want. Like a ring for Maka.**

**Basically, he took the rule to an extreme: 3 months cubed, 3^2, or 9 months worth of his paycheck and bought a platinum ring. If you had to read this to understand and you don't know what platinum is or its relative value, Wikipedia is your friend.**

**Profound thanks to Sutemi for catching my stupid, stupid math error.  
><strong>

**[4] Patty is so damned useful for kicking off the end of a scene. **

**[5] Money comes from somewhere damn it. Living forever aids in working the stock market. the U.S. government would **_**throw**_** money at the only academy training people to fight paranormal enemies that bullets, tanks and mines may or may not work against. Donating money to schools is a great tax break for the ultra-rich and a great way for someone to say "Hey, thanks for stopping that thing from eating my rich ass.". And after an incident as major as the Kishin being born, the UN would fucking set up a committee to study and fund programs relating to studying and stopping such an event.**

_**Halo**_** fans might note that the United Nations Soul Committee abbreviates to UNSC. That was **_**almost**_** an accident. I realized that it worked out to that when I was thinking up names, and, well, I had to.**

**[6] "Black Star,**

**I assumed that you would try and get into the liquor cabinets in the bars or start looking for alcohol that might have been left out. You finding this note confirms my suspicions.**

**If you proceed in trying to illegally drink, I will find out. I have eyes and ears everywhere.**

**If you drink liquor on this plane or make the flight difficult for the passengers or the flight crew, your fate will be worse than that frog I dissected in class last March during that particularly bad resurgence of madness that I experienced.  
><strong>

**There are several notes about the plane. Do not attempt to find them.**

**This message will now self destruct by being dissolved by the acid in your stomach."**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ok, this was a bit of an awkward chapter to write. I've been writing a few hours at a time, and the result is what amounts to a filler chapter. Yawn. Sorry for the lack of... well, substance and the chapter being filled with stuffing. Not to be confused with fluff, which can be pleasant, unlike filler which is like leaping into a vat of camel hair.**

**Wait, where was I again? Oh yeah.**

**So my muse took over again and my initial plan for this chapter is now the plan for this chapter and the first half of next chapter. That said, this **_**is**_** the longest chapter by number of words and pages in NtL to date, so I'm proud of that.**

**I know I'll catch some flak for the plane part, so here goes my defense: In the anime they have an almost miraculous ability to go ANYWHERE in the world within... oh, five minutes. What's even better is that they do it by a means that is never even shown. Ever. The only exception is that Kid has Beelzebub that he flies around on. But, that won't carry eleven people. So, in light of a mystery transport system and the perplexing use of landing craft at Brew, I settled on a plane as a means of travel. **

**This week has been hell, and will continue to be hell on the school front. I'm literally posting this and running off to the labs so I can test and debug my first concurrent program. If you know what that means, you're a nerd or a CS major, which means both.**

**I'm hoping to get more written, or at least started during the weekend, assuming I remain sober and sane. No promises though.**

**Next time on NTL: Tokyo, fighting, lemon (its overdue, might be a combination of "WE'RE ALIVE" Sex and Engagement Sex) and perhaps an injury or two.**

**By the way, I was **_**slightly**_** off on the value of that ring. The ring as I spec'd it out, would cost roughly $25,000. Not necessarily 9 month's worth pay, which, but still about the cost of an average American made car. I imagine a Death Scythe to make around $100,000 annually, which makes me a bit of a fool for dropping EXACTLY on the 3 month line, but let's just lie and say that diamonds and/or platinum in **_**their**_** world are about 3 times as rare, ok?**

* * *

><p><strong>AB:The title is a sad, sad pun. Rock = diamond, Paper = money Soul spent and Scissors = Kichisake-onna, who didn't even appear in this chapter. **

**In the last 24 hours I searched about 30 times for articles on C programming and about 25 on platinum engagement rings. I like to think that I'm making a Google employee who writes the software that detects patterns in searches cry.**

**This chapter just seems... off to me. Dunno, you be the judge.**

**I've got NO idea how the fighting in the next chapter(s) will go. I'm as much in the dark as you are. Comforting? No? TOUGHT SHIT.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 6:<strong>

**Hellocloser: Thanks for the gender clarification, for one. I was kinda proud with how I got around the food problem, so I'm glad you approve. I'm just hoping the proposal didn't seem forced or anything.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul 14: Curry was an idea that I had briefly touched on when I was brainstorming (read as: clawing frantically at the walls of my apartment as I tried to figure it out), but I had my heart set on it happening in a restaurant, and I don't know of too many places that I've seen Japanese style curry on the menu.**

**I'm glad that the frantic back story for the OCs didn't come across as fake or too tenuous. I just had the urge to give Soul and Maka an emotional connection to the event so I could show them as something aside from mostly happy and bubbly.**

**Emcronia: What's sad about the whole place going dead quiet is that it's not even my favorite part. The bit about his emotions running through the crowd of his thoughts stealing wallets and tying shoelaces is. I was listening to George Carlin at the time and it's kind of reminiscent of his bit on nature being out of control.**

**Well, as you know now, the band ain't silver. It could have been white gold too, but I felt like making Soul have gone very much big, rather than home. Nothing says "I love you and can support a family." like buying a ring worth more than a new car.**

**Maka67: Kami and Spirit are there with them. Almost as safe as back home.  
>Also, I wish I could block specific users or delete reviews or something. I wasn't joking. Being told to do more of what I'm already doing literally makes me want to stop and not write more for, oh, a year.<strong>

**NIKOLAI!: Yes they fucking are. I had to try and make it **_**not**_** seem shallow or fake as hell. From your reaction, I think it worked. lol**

**Eieriann: Did you know that your name is hard to type out when you're being an idiot and not copy/pasting names and jumping between windows? lol**

**Well, as I said in my A/B, I've got **_**no**_** idea how the fight turns out. I'm not being a smartass or coy, I really don't know. I don't plan on any non-redshirts (read as: actual characters) dying, but red shirts are fair game. Now, that doesn't mean that a main character **_**won't**_** die either. I just don't know yet. I haven't written it. You'll know a day or two after I do.**

**mabello: Glad you like it and I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations as well. Also, thank you for not making the "write more" an order. Makes it far more tolerable than being demanded of, ya know?**

**Cheeriolord: Sorry to disappoint you on the action count. I hadn't really intended on the flight taking up so much of the story, but when Kid turned out to be an amateur jeweler... things got a tad drawn out and left me with a perfect ending. Next chapter **_**should**_** see at least the start of the battle, so that might make up for this. Sorry, bro.**

**Nyanyu-chan: Woah! Glad you like it! I hope this chapter met your expectations. Thanks for the fav too!**


	8. Eventful Flights and Uneventful Landings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater **

**Editorial Status: Looked over, waiting for final check from a kind soul  
><strong>

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 8: Eventful Flights and Uneventful Landings**

_**OR**_

**Dirty Deeds Done on Planes**

* * *

><p>The world around the plane seemed to stand still for a moment. It began to speed up as Spirit's mouth began to flap like a trout gasping for air and sped further as his muscles tensed to throw his body into a dramatic, accusatory pose.<p>

Finally, with a nearly audible _clunk_, the universe returned to its nominal speed. It's job was done and it had to get on with things like causality and stopping those damned neutrinos from passing the speed of light again.[1]

The inevitable happened and Spirit leaped towards Soul and grabbed the young man by the shirt collar. In days past, he would have been lifting Soul off of his feet, but the young Death Scythe was on the line of 5'11" and 6'0" tall. He stood eye-to-eye with his fiancé's father.

"Soul! What is the meaning of this? Why does my Maka have a ring on her finger?" Spirit pulled no punches, screaming at maximum volume in the cabin. Even with the sound-dampening materials around the interior of the jet, the man's voice boomed as loudly as a megaphone.

Soul grimaced and broke Spirit's grasp on his jacket. "What's your freakin' deal old man? You were cool with this on Friday! What the fuck is wrong with you?" To say that he was mad would have been an understatement. Frustration with his senior Death Scythe's immaturity, anger at being assaulted by Spirit and confusion about the schizophrenic change in him as well.

Spirit recoiled at Soul's words and took a step back, as if he were expecting to be electrocuted by Soul.

"Papa! What has gotten into you?" Maka nearly shouted as she rose from the couch and stood next to Soul.

Spirit looked dumbfounded for a moment, vacantly shifting his eyes from Maka to Soul and then back again. Still more mental gears came back online after their short time off while he had slept.

"Why. Is. Everyone. Yelling."

All present turned towards the origin of the voice: Patty. The twin pistol stood in the isle at the back of the student section of the plane. Kid cringed and hid with a whimper behind Liz, who looked uncomfortable. Patty's hands were clenched into fists at her sides, her gritted teeth bared and bloodshot eyes flaming with rage looked at the other passengers with unending hatred.

"I. Was. Trying. To. Sleep." Patty growled in her "special voice".

Kid whimpered and shrank further behind his other weapon. Rather asymmetrically at that, but his fear of Patty was strong enough to force all thoughts of symmetry from his mind.

"H-hey now Patty, calm down. We'll be quiet, ok?" Liz held her hands out in a calming gesture as she nervously laughed.

"You guys better. Or I'll break you like my giraffe." Patty turned and returned to her seat, snoring gently before her head even hit the headrest.

Fearful silence reigned supreme for a few eternities. Slowly, the students turned towards a clearly disturbed Spirit with varying degrees of annoyance.

"Stupid Papa..." Maka mumbled with a glare.

Spirit withered under the gazes of the assorted weapons and meisters. He chuckled nervously. "Sorry... I kind of forgot the last couple of days when I woke up. It's a lot to wrap my head around."

The continued nervous chuckles and fearful smile that Spirit wore shrank and faded away as he retreated backwards into the instructor's section of the plane. A muffled thump and a whine were heard shortly after. Kami was more than able to put her boyfriend in his place, anytime, anywhere.

The group shared a glance and looked back at Patty as she once again slept soundly.

"How does she _do_ that?" Black Star whispered.

"She likes her sleep." Liz said with a shrug that added 'It can't be helped.'

"Is it safe?" Kid asked timidly, still hiding behind Liz, his hands on her shoulders.

The elder Thompson sister sighed and whispered. "Yes, Kid. She's asleep."

"So she won't shove us all out of the door?"

"Yes."

"I can stop hiding?"

"You can give me a backrub as payment for being a meat shield." Liz replied with an almost seductive smile.

Kid started and flushed slightly, but nodded.

Liz smiled in return. "Good boy. My shoulders are stiff, so you've got work to do." She lead the emotionally conflicted Reaper yet another couch at the rear of the cabin a safe distance from Patty.

Soul, Maka, Black Star and Tsubaki watched them with interest.

"When did they get so close?" Black Star asked absently.

"You don't think that they..." Tsubaki trailed off, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Normally, I'd say 'no', but things to be going in a weird direction lately..." Soul replied, mulling over his thoughts.

"You know, I'd love to work out Kid's love life and enjoy the problems he'd have with symmetry, but," Black Star yawned. "Even big stars like me need their sleep."

The yawn was contagious, spreading from person to person in the small knot of teenagers.

"I'm sleepy too." Tsubaki added.

"Think I'll try and catch some sleep. Jet lag isn't cool."

Maka yawned again and smacked her lips sleepily. "Mmme too."

The group broke up for a nap. Tsubaki and Black Star went to their seats, Tsubaki leaning on Black Star sleepily. Maka and Soul returned to the couch, Soul laying down and Maka half on top of him. Soul wrapped his arms protectively around his meister.

Within minutes, exhaustion and what little of the gentle thrum of the jet engines that penetrated the cabin lulled the them into a deep sleep.

Even Liz's giggles didn't wake them.[2]

* * *

><p>Soul awoke some time later. He groaned and tried to move his arm that was under Maka. He hadn't thought his warm gesture through too well. Pain from his blood-deprived arm shot up to his shoulder. Thankfully, Maka grumbled and shifted her weight, allowing Soul to free the pinned appendage which flopped around. It was totally numb.<p>

Soul amused himself for a moment as he tried to flex his unresponsive fingers. Slowly the feeling came back, along with that curious tingling sensation that goes with a limb waking up. Satisfied that his arm was in working order, Soul closed his eyes and let the engine noise put him back to sleep.

He opened his eyes. There was none. And the plane was stationary. _Must be refueling in Hawaii._ Soul checked his watch, closed his eyes and groaned quietly. It was 7 a.m. back in Death City. _But, it's about 2 a.m. here or something like that._ He smiled. East-to-West jet lag wasn't so bad. It was going the other way that sucked.

Soul lifted his head and looked around the cabin. Patty still slept soundly in her chair as did Black star and Tsubaki. He chuckled, seeing that Tsubaki had practically climbed into Black Star's lap as she slept. He didn't see Liz or Kid. _Ah, might have gone to the bathroom or to deal with airport workers._[2]

Maka grumbled and rubbed her eyes. "'e there 'et?" She asked groggily.

Soul kissed the back of her neck softly. "Not yet, babe. Refueling in Hawaii. Only halfway there."

Maka shuddered under his tender kiss. Damn him, he _knew_ she was weak there. "'Kay..." She mumbled and forced herself back to sleep.

Soul smiled to himself. It would have been impossible for him to have missed the blip of pleasure that had come across their resonating souls. God, he loved tormenting her sometimes. She was so irresistibly adorable when she was flustered.

He buried his face into her neck where it met her shoulder and back and sighed happily. He let the comforting scent of her flowery shampoo send him back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, Maka awoke. She opened her eyes and was confused for a moment before she remembered she was on a plane. She looked around and saw that everyone was sleeping.<p>

The jet had taken off again and was somewhere over the Pacific on the last leg of their journey to Japan. The gentle rock of the plane and the quiet roar of the engines outside their windows were more than relaxing.

Maka snuggled up against Soul, relishing the contact. She loved to feel the heat radiating off of his strong body. Maka looked for the umpteenth time at her left hand and the simple, _And incredibly valuable_, ring on her finger. She smiled. _That's just like him too. Simple in appearance but incredibly meaningful._

Her grin expanded. _He's mine and I'm his..._ She tested the corny phrase in the safety of her mind and did the mental equivalent of a shrug. _I guess it means more when it's happening to you._

She tried to snuggle herself still closer to Soul. It wasn't the same as being back in their apartment in bed, but it would have to do...

Slowly, Maka realized that she was feeling something odd in the small of her back. A devious smile accompanied realization.

_That's not a cell phone..._

Now it was Maka's turn to get a devious, almost evil idea.

The meister eased her way off of the couch and away from her weapon. She knelt on the floor, leaned in and kissed Soul. She began softly, but gradually her kisses on his sleeping lips intensified.

_Wake up, dummy. Do you know how creepy this would be if you don't wake up?_

Slowly, Soul's lips began to move and then return her kisses. Maka upped the ante by darting her tongue into his mouth and running it over his tongue. She began to moan softly as he began to right her for control of his mouth.

Maka broke the kiss and opened her eyes. Soul's half-lidded eyes stared back into hers.

"Second coolest way to wake up." Once more his sleep-deepened voice caused her to blush. "You know, after the other morning, but given the setting, can't blame you for not doing that now." He smiled gently.

"Maybe this will make it better." Maka moved closer to him, her lips nearly brushing his ear. "Want to join the 'Mile-High Club'?" Her voice was as thick as honey with lust.

Instantly his eyes were open. "You're serious?" Hope and a fair bit of arousal filled his voice.

Her reply was a seductive smile as she stood and walked to the rear of the plane where the bathrooms were.[3] Soul's eyes tracked her hips as they swayed over-dramatically while she walked. Strutted was a better word for the act.

_The hell did she learn to do _that_?_ Soul wondered absently.

Before he knew it, Soul was on his feet and following his amorous meister towards the two restrooms.

Maka's hips stopped swaying with the rest of her in a sudden halt. Puzzled, Soul followed her gaze.

Liz and Kid sat next to each other as they slept. That wasn't unusual. What _was_ unusual was the closeness in which the two did it. That, and the generally disheveled look of the pair. Liz's hair was a mess, stray hairs went every direction conceivable. Kid himself looked like he'd stepped into a wind tunnel. Strangest of all was the fact that both of their clothes seemed to have been hastily, and sloppily put _back on_.[4]

"No way." Soul breathed as he looked down at the meister and weapon.

"Well, we know the answer to Tsubaki's question." Maka looked at Soul with her best seductive smile. "Looks like we won't be the only two to join the MHC tonight..."

Soul stared dumbly at her. Where had this courage come from? He really didn't care, he goddamned _loved_ it.

Soul followed Maka, who led him into one of the restrooms with a grin that told him volumes. Good things were happening in his _very_ immediate future. Of course, he already knew that, but damn did her smile do something to him that he couldn't explain.

The bathroom was surprisingly spacious. It was still a closet, but unlike commercial airline restrooms, it was at least twice as wide. The depth was limited by the plane's fuselage, and it still had that annoying sloped ceiling, but with twice the width, there was twice the room. Twice the room to move around and position oneself.

As soon as Soul closed and locked the door, Maka was on him. She pinned him against the rear wall of the bathroom and pulled him into a deep kiss that left the two of them gasping for breath when it ended.

Initially shocked, Soul decided to let Maka do as she wanted. Being in charge every time was no fun, and he loved to see the normally sweet girl show her truly perverse side.

With a hungry _growl_ Maka practically leaped at his lips, smashing them together and forcing her tongue into his mouth. Soul placed his hands on Maka's hips for lack of something better to do with his hands. With another growl, she grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them to the wall.

The girl meant fucking _business_.

Deprived of the ability to do much without earning Maka's lust-induced ire, Soul returned the kiss. This was practically torture to him. He _needed_ to run his hands over her body. It was as instinctual as breathing to him.

Sensing his need, Maka pressed her body against his. Her hips met his and she began to grind herself against Soul's erection. It may have begun as morning wood, but now it was indeed the real thing, waiting with the impatience of a junky needing their fix, and that fix just happened to be her.

Soul groaned into the kiss as he was engulfed by the pleasure of the situation he was in. Maka purred in response, clearly delighted by how much her work was paying off.

Maka broke the kiss once more, leaving them sucking in air to their depleted lungs. She released his wrists and he let his arms drop to his sides as he fought for air. Without much pause, she tore his shirt off and threw it casually onto the sink. Her smile, almost predatory, sent chills down his spine.

In short order Maka's yellow sweater, white dress shirt and bra joined their counterpart on the countertop. She wasted no time in pressing their bare flesh together with a hiss of satisfaction. Soul shuddered as he felt her warm, hard nipples press against his chest.

Maka kissed his jaw and then his neck. She kissed and nipped her way to his collarbone and then to his scar. Another shudder ran down Soul's spine as he felt her lips on the old wound, the tissue now ghostly white after years of healing. He marveled at how only she could make him feel pleasure from that battle trophy.

Maka continued her kisses and playful bites down the length of his scar. She savored every gasp and groan that escaped his lips as he docilely let her do as she pleased with his body.

When she reached the band of his pants where his scar continued underneath the offending garment. With little hesitation, she removed the obstacle, letting it fall down around his ankles. His boxers were similarly removed from the equation. Now free to continue her tour of his old wound, more kisses and bites graced his flesh.

Soul shuddered once more and fought to remain upright as his hardness brushed against Maka's chest and neck as she moved further down his body. His meister gently grasped his cock in her hand and gently stroked it until she reached the end of his scar.

Soul looked down at Maka, who was now squatting down, holding him tantalizingly close to her lips. Maka looked back up at him as she opened her nominally sweet, little mouth and slid his dick into her mouth. He groaned from the depths of his throat as she took him as deeply as she dared.

Soul closed his eyes and leaned his head back until it hit the wall. He fought the urge to grasp the back of her head with every fiber of his being. He now understood _why_ men did that in porn. It was to stop themselves from clapping.[5]

Soul's mind filled with the static of pleasure as his consciousness concentrated on the pleasure that he was receiving. She hadn't done this often, at least not with him, and he _knew_ she'd never do it with anyone else, so how had she gotten so good? _Books_.

Maka was sucking him off perfectly, as far as he was concerned. She took his dick inside her mouth as far as she could and then would pull back slowly. The sensation amplifier was that she would drag her tongue along his length as she pulled her head back and would do the same as she moved her head forward again.

After only a few minutes, an embarrassingly short period of time as far as Soul was concerned, he was at his limit. "Maka... I'm about to cum." Soul fought to speak between gasps and groans.

Maka's response was simply to increase her pace, bobbing her head faster and faster, literally sucking on his cock when she pulled back.

Just as he was at the absolute limit, she drove her head forward, taking his entire length. The feeling of absolute pleasure was far more than he had needed and Soul came. His thick seed filled her mouth as Soul actually _moaned_ her name.

Maka took a moment and slowly, deliberately pulled his still raging erection from her mouth, licking it clean as she did so. Soul stared, mesmerized. Finally, she removed him entirely from her mouth with a _pop_. She looked up at him with a very satisfied grin as she licked her lips.

Soul stared as she slowly rose, dragging her body along his, until she stood facing him, mere inches from his face.

"You, taste _so_ damned good."[6]

"That _felt_ so damned good." Soul replied with his cocky grin.

"No relaxing now." Maka said in mock admonishment. "We aren't in the Mile-High Club yet."

Her devious smile returned as she spun around and leaned forward, resting a forearm on the counter. Soul's brain checked out when she lifted her skirt and slid her panties to one side, exposing and spreading her soaking pussy with two fingers for him to see.

"You know what to do, Soul." Lust simply _oozed_ from the way she said his name. Maka smiled at him using the mirror above the sink.

Soul's eyes moved from his meister's "come hither" smile to her dripping pussy and then back again. He wondered if this was how women reacted to getting engaged. If so, then he knew _exactly_ why Engagement Sex[7] was in a class all its own in the taxonomy[8] of physical intimacy. Either that or Maka had been struck by the urge to fuck. On a plane. With their friends not twenty feet away. He was cool with either option really, not that it mattered in the here and now.

Soul smiled broadly, exposing his shark-like teeth. However, he did nothing more than lock eyes with Maka. Her expression went from lust to confusion and annoyance.

"What's the matter Soul?" Maka demanded.

The Death Scythe shrugged. "Hey, you're the one in charge here, What am I supposed to do?" He grinned at her.

Maka sighed explosively. "Soul..." She growled through gritted teeth. "_fuck me_!"

Soul's grin exploded and he chuckled. "As you _wish_." He punctuated his statement by driving himself into her with no preamble.

Her head snapped back as she gasped, her eyes wide and rolling back into her head as the pleasure struck her. Soul wrapped his arms around her slender frame, one hand moving to stroke her clitoris and the other moving up to cup her throat. Soul held her as he began to thrust his hips forward. Maka's back arched at an incredible angle, pressing her back into his chest as he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

Maka made no noise, she still hadn't exhaled since her entered her. He body shook and trembled under her weapon's onslaught on her senses. His dick moving inside of her scraped along her g-spot continually thanks to her position, his fingers stroked her clitoris in time with his thrusts, his lips on her incredibly sensitive neck and his hand on her throat. As Maka closed her eyes, she felt as though she was being encapsulated by Soul.

Soul renewed his kiss on her neck and was rewarded by a series of soft whimpers and mewls as she exhaled. He'd never heard her make some of these sounds. From what he could tell, she was in sensory overload and was having a hard time remembering how to breathe properly. He knew his hand was merely resting on her throat, far too lightly to cause her any trouble.

Slowly, the initial shock of Soul's attack wore off, the meister leaned forward, resting her forearms on the countertop. Maka began forcing her hips back to meet his with each thrust. Her breathing settled somewhat to gasping and moaning softly with the occasional whimper.

She tried to let her head droop, but Soul's hand gently kept her head up. Slightly puzzled, Maka opened her eyes and beheld herself looking back at her. She also saw Soul behind her, thrusting into her with his trademark grin. She blushed instantly, but locked eyes with her weapon, her lust worn on her face as she grinned back.

Rising to the unspoken challenge, Soul picked up the pace. His thrusts came twice as fast and hard, his fingers a blur as the moved on and around her clit. He leaned forward and placed his lips on her shoulders, neck and back, kissing every inch of her skin that he could reach. He moved his hand from her neck down to one of her breasts where he gently squeezed and rolled the nipple between his fingers.

Maka's eyes widened once more and a throaty moan escaped her mouth. He knew where all of her weaknesses were and he exploited them all without mercy. She fought off the feeling of encroaching bliss for a counterattack. With all of the strength she had, she clamped every muscle she knew how to control on his thrusting cock.

Soul missed a beat, stopping fully inside of her. His face went from cocky glee to that of someone who'd tasted something sour. His lips tightened and he closed one of his eyes in concentration. He began thrusting again, even faster and harder now. The small bathroom was filled with the sounds of low moans and groans and the unquestionably sexual sound of something wet being stirred repeatedly.

Refusing to admit defeat, Maka clamped her muscles down on Soul again.

The desired effect was achieved.

Soul let out a low groan and thrust entirely inside of her once more as his orgasm took hold. However, Maka's little finisher move was a double edged sword, the combined effect of her fiancé cumming inside of her and her own muscles squeezing him sent her too over the edge.

A loud moan, nearly a scream was cut off with perfect timing by her lover. Soul turned her head and forced their lips together until her moan was depleted.

The two slumped to the floor, still connected, panting heavily. Soul wrapped his arms around her abdomen and leaned against the back wall, resting his head against it. Maka stared up and off into the middle distance as the orgasm subsided and normal thoughts returned. She rested her head against his chest as she fought to regain a normal breathing pattern.

"I think," Soul spoke. "That the thinner air might have had something do with that..." He spoke in awe.

"Yeah..." Maka agreed in a similar tone.

Soul kissed the top of his meister's head. "You need to take charge more often."

"You liked that?"

"Hell yes."

Maka giggled. "Glad you liked it. That was for the ring."

Soul smiled with a soft chuckle.

"First installment of, oh, twenty." She joked.

"Wait, we're having a sex economy?" Soul asked bemused.

"It was a joke, dummy."

"Oh."

The two rested for a while, simply enjoying the physical contact.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if any of you are still awake, we'll be making out final approach to Narita International in thirty minutes." The pilot announced over the PA system.

"I think that's our cue to get dressed." Soul said neutrally.

Maka made a sound of defiance. "Nope. I wanna stay like this."

"Do you want your old man, or worse, Black Star, finding us?"

Maka was off of Soul's lap in half of a second and putting on her bra.

Soul stood up and located his boxers and got them halfway up his legs before he realized he'd be more than a tad uncomfortable with his dick still coated in both his and Maka's fluids.

"Hey Maka, hand me a couple of tissues or something."

Maka complied and watched him wipe himself off with confusion and realization. She lifted her skirt, examined herself and realized she might have a problem.

"Oh shit... I didn't even think of that..."

Soul pulled on his boxers and moved to her side, his lips near her ear. "I'm going to introduce you to the versatility of Kleenex now."

Maka shuddered, feeling his breath on her neck and giggled.

* * *

><p>Thankfully, their friends were still asleep when the two lovers exited the restroom. Soul and Maka quietly took their seats and buckled themselves in. Soul donned his headphones and looked out the window hoping to see his first look at Japan. Maka picked retrieved the Kindle Spirit had given her for the trip from the pouch in the seat in front of her and began reading.<p>

She took Soul's hand and laced her fingers between his and squeezed gently. _I love you._

He squeezed back twice. _I love you too._

Soul nearly had a heart attack when he saw Patty in the reflection of the window, having appeared between blinks. He turned towards the aisle and saw Patty standing there. Maka turned and saw the demon pistol as well. She gulped hard.

Patty had the broadest smile possible on her face, her hands resting on her hips. She knew a secret.

Soul removed the headphones, his eyes wide in fear and embarrassment.

Patty stared at the two for a full ten seconds and giggled. Without a word, she made a gesture of drawing a zipper across her lips, breaking the zipper and throwing it away. She then turned and walked back to her seat, humming softly.

Weapon and meister shared a look. _Not good._ They found themselves sitting atop a powder keg with an erratically burning fuse. It would go off, but no one knew when or who'd be around when it happened.

_Joy_.

* * *

><p>The plane was landed expertly with hardly even a bump and taxied to the small planes terminal.<p>

One by one, the two woke their friends up and retrieved what little luggage they had from a compartment at the rear of the plane, past the restrooms.

The seven students and four instructors walked down the steps built into the door of the plane after thanking the pilot and copilot.

Customs agents welcomed them to Japan and inspected their DWMA passports. The usual questions were asked about contraband and illicit substances and were answered to the satisfaction of the agents.

Passports were stamped and the group was led into the terminal where they met by three employees of the school. They climbed into three large SUVs which sped off in a convoy to the DWMA consulate in Tokyo.

Downtown Tokyo at night was definitely something to see, even at four in the morning. Billboards, jumbotron screens and neon signs lit up the night scene, making it feel more like day.

It reminded Soul of the time he and Black Star had road-tripped to Las Vegas on the ninja's eighteenth birthday. Black Star didn't believe Soul that the legal age to enter a casino was twenty one, and claimed that no bouncer could keep a star as big as him from entering. One meeting with a Muay Thai champion later, the two were left wandering around the Las Vegas Strip as night fell.[9] The Strip at night was definitely a sight, but it didn't have the exotic feeling of actually being in another country, let alone one as developed and colorful as Japan.

Eventually, their convoy traveled away from the downtown area and entered the consulate compound. The consulate was located in the strange in-between zone that exists where major city centers meet their outlying residential neighborhoods. It was out of the way, but far from inaccessible.

Bags were grabbed, introductions to the Consul were made and they were taken to their guest rooms in the three story building. Ox and Havar were nowhere to be seen.

They were in no condition to scout for their target, let alone fight her. The human mind has its limits and carrying out the mission smartly was paramount. Walking into a fight when half asleep was the inverse of smart.

They would seek her out tomorrow night.

* * *

><p>As Maka flopped into the large kind-sized bed, she sighed. The shower had felt good. The sex on the plane had been better. However, that was in the past. They were here now, and the mission was on.<p>

Soul kissed her sleepily after she climbed under the covers. "'Night, Maka." He grumbled.

"Goodnight Soul."

Maka sighed again as Soul wrapped his arms around her. Neither of them could sleep well without the physical contact of the other now.

As sleep took her, Maka had one final thought:

_She is going to _pay.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] See <strong>_**XKCD**_** strip 955 for more on the subject. Basically some physicists at the Large Hadron Collider found some neutrinos moving **_**faster**_** than the speed of light.**

**[2] Take this as you will. I may or may not explore this in later chapters. It depends solely on the feedback I get.**

**[3] Yes, bathrooms. Kid worked on the design, there's one on each side. Symmetry. Duh.**

**[4] I **_**might**_** have lied. If people are unhappy with this possible pairing, I DO have an innocent explanation for Liz and Kid's appearance. We shall see, won't we?**

**[5] I can't recall who, but a comedian used that as a joke. And dear lord is it fucking true. Yes, it offers better leverage and places the man in control of that situation. But think about it, can you clap with your hands in that position? No. No you can't.**

**[6] I seriously don't care. "That, was bitter." or "God that was disgusting." doesn't have the same ring to it. If you disagree, please take a number from that grena- ticket stand and our complaints department will speak with you in four to ten seconds.**

**[7] And capitalized letters for that matter.**

**[8] I'm taking an invertebrate zoology course this semester, it works. I think this might also be my mind's not so subtle way of reminding me that I should be studying for my exam in that class tomorrow (at time of writing anyways) morning.**

**[9] I don't care how big your ego is, when your fighting style is largely made up of charging your enemy and screaming while dramatically holding a weapon, you will fucking LOSE to a professional fighter. Especially if the man is protecting his job. The gaming commission doesn't take kindly to a casino admitting a minor, and the casino won't be too nice to whoever let them in.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ok, **_**this**_** is the longest NtL chapter to date, 4,966 words of the story itself before any of my notes. I'm working on it guys.**

**Once more, the battle is delayed. Sorry about that. The lemon has taken over this chapter and I won't try and make it move or cut it down. It growls at me when I try. But, with my promise of lemony goodness fulfilled and the team in Tokyo, I'd have to have shrapnel in my brain to miss this target. I mean, it's like an inch from me!**

**On a sad note: The semester is gaining momentum DRAMATICALLY. I honestly shouldn't have spent my time writing this, what with an exam tomorrow and an essay due the hour before the exam. I thought that I owed you guys **_**something**_** before the weekend. However, this will likely be the last time this semester that I put NtL or writing for fun before school. I can't really afford to do that for much longer. If there's a lull in the workload or a weekend free of homework, I'll crank something out.**

_**However, updates WILL be coming less frequently.**_

**So, what did you guys think of the long-in-coming lemon? I tried to mix it up as much as I could. My biggest problem is that I've written so damned many lemons for these two that you have likely read that I'm running out of material. I'm trying to avoid fetishes as much as possible so I don't ruin the scene for someone, but I think I'm going to have to have the two start exploring their kinkier side. Suggestions are welcome, however, bondage will **_**not**_**, I repeat **_**NOT**_** be happening. I have to put myself in their shoes to do dialogue and scenes like that, and I am not a fan of bondage.**

**As for Kid and Liz, I will do NOTHING further with them unless I get some damned feedback.**

* * *

><p><strong>AB: So, I'd had ideas of using the Mile-High Club ever since I decided they would travel by plane rather than the Unexplained Mystery Transporter that is used in the series. I was trying to decide **_**how**_** to get the two in a situation where that is feasible. A plane-wide orgy came to mind, but that would be **_**so**_** wrong for **_**so**_** many reasons. I settled on doing it this way when I called LinKura whilst driving and asked her if I should use the MHC. A resounding, repeated "DO IT!" was my answer. Even the people around her started chanting. I laughed so hard I nearly hit a freaking tree last night.**

**I decided to have some more fun with Patty this chapter, too. She definitely seems like the type to get pissed off about being woken up. The "special voice" was just a **_**great**_** throwback to the awakening of the Kishin. Damn did I laugh at that. And the giraffe. NEVER forget what she did to that test-giraffe. Fuckin' broke its neck. AND GOT MORE THAN 0 POINTS FOR IT.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 7... and Chapter 4?:<strong>

**raelynn fross: Kami's reaction will be at breakfast "tomorrow". Not sure how she's going to react yet. I've got an idea though. It should be interesting.**

**bluenian98: Quite true. lol I hope you liked the escalation of the insanity. I tried to stop it from going down too far. Dropping from funny to serious can kill a scene, hence the "meat shield" line from Liz and her extorting Kid for a backrub.**

**Theresa of the Faint Smile: First, love the name.**

**I feel like I might have written myself into a corner when I was establishing their connection to the second year students. I don't know. Time will tell if I made the emotional connection too strong or too weak.**

**Ok, so you got me on the length of time the ring is worn, I didn't know that. But I still think that it's a bad idea to use monetary income and the willingness to spend it on jewelry as a meter for love and commitment. **

**That was more what I was saying with my griping about the 3 month rule.**

**cheeriolord: I'm glad someone approves of my world-expanding. Haven't really heard a whole lot from people about the decisions I've made regarding the DWMA and the word at large. Dunno, maybe I'm too forceful in explaining it and people think that challenging me is a bad idea?**

**Maka67: You trollin', I hatin'.**

**Hellocloser: Thanks much. I'm just worried that I make the emotions and tensions too thin or insubstantial.**

**Emcronia: I'm actually proud of myself about the ring. I had to do some research and I learned quite a bit about diamonds while looking around online for prices and cuts and all that.**

**I tried to break up the chapter with bit and pieces of jokes to keep the tone light. The thing with Black Star just kinda happened, another instance of my muse I guess. As for Spirit, I was looking for a way to describe how slow he was being about putting two and two together. I borrowed the phrase from my cousin actually, the man is a funny son of a bitch.**

**I'm sorry that you have to wait for a another chapter to see the fight and Ox and Havar. This chapter grew quite long and I don't have enough time at the moment to do much more than get them in rooms and ready to fight. I'll try and get the next chapter written as soon as I can without risking grades. Promise.**

**mabello: Well, here's some lemon for you. lol "The rest" is probably a LONG way off, because this one is shaping to be a goddamned MASSIVE project.**

**Nikolai!: Yes, it actually was 8,000 and not 9,000. Not sure how you make that kind of mistake: 'hassen' and 'kyuusen' don't seem that similar to me, but what do I know?**

**I hope the lemon was up to your expectations!**

**I appreciate your support for the story, I really do.**

**Congrats. I remember Homecoming... 5 years ago. Christ I'm old.**

**Sutemi: Thanks so much for the catch. I amended chapter 7 and added a note thanking you for your that. My only real excuse is sleep deprivation at the time of writing.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul14: Good Lord. If I took away the possibilities of missions, I might as well just turn this over to the hordes of people who love writing drama rather than story. I don't think that **_**I**_** could handle the kind of crap I'd be forced to write if I benched Maka. And remember, she's only a few days pregnant, 6 now, I think. She can't even take a pregnancy test for another 6 days.  
>I'm glad you saw the filler as more than just filler. I hope that this one was good too. It's only really tenuously attached to the main storyline as a whole. However, given that this damned series was founded on smut, I think that its less filler and more plot point. lol<strong>

**Anzac-14: I was kinda surprised to see a review way back on chapter 4, won't lie. lol**

**First, I'm glad you like Kami-as-designed-by-Apoc. I was really nervous about that, but I have to live with it now.**

**As for Kami and Spirit... I'm not sure. I've been thinking about this ever since YGS. At that time, they were well on their way to reconciliation and what not. However, for NtL, I had to slow that process down. Because YGS was written as a oneshot, I never gave a second thought to my choices as far as that goes, but I think that everything with Soul and Maka might make some romance rekindle between the two. I know I said that they're "dating", but that means different things for different situations.  
>I'm getting my thoughts in order on them still, but thanks for the question. It really made me look at the idea from a few more angles.<strong>


	9. Big Tokyo, Bigger Problem

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own Kindle.**

**Editorial Status: Given a once-over. A more thorough proofing will be done within the next 24 hours.  
><strong>

**A/N: I guess some people may not have known what the Mile-High Club is. The MHC includes pretty much anyone who's had sex on an airplane while it was in flight. The theory is that the thinner atmosphere in a pressurized plane and the taboo nature of having sex aboard a crowded airplane makes the sex immensely better. The path to the MHC is fraught with danger, air marshals and criminal charges.**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 9: Big Tokyo, Bigger Problem**

* * *

><p><em>Heavy rain fell on the nighttime streets of Tokyo's suburbs. The falling rain passed beneath the streetlamps on every street corner, seemingly popping into being the last twenty feet before they hit the ground with their brethren. As they fell, the raindrops reflected the brilliant light of the lamps, reflecting every color of the rainbow in their moment of glory before impact.<em>

_Soul Evans found himself wandering these night streets. He was soaked to the skin as he aimlessly wandered the streets. His hair was wetted down by the rain to the point that it stuck to his skull like a helmet. His clothes were similarly waterlogged, adding ten pounds of weight to his body. Even though he knew this should bother him, Soul couldn't bring himself to care much._

_He was looking for something, he just couldn't remember what._

_The white-haired scythe slowly glanced back and forth on his sauntering journey, scanning high and low, left and right for whatever he was looking for. He took solace in knowing that whatever it was, he would know it as soon as he saw it._

_Up ahead to his right, Soul saw and alley as he approached it. The alley was dark, no lights illuminated it and it rand between back yards of the various houses around it._

_As he neared, the teen looked into the alley casually and looked back to the street, continuing to walk past it. While his eyes had seen everything, his mind was slow in placing the pieces. It wasn't until after he had passed the alley that he thought he had seen something. Soul stopped in the middle of a step and backed up slowly, craning his neck and squinting his eyes against the darkness._

_Yes, there it was. Some ten feet from the mouth of the alley where he stood. Behind a Dumpster he saw feet protruding around the edge. It could be a bum who'd drank himself to sleep so thoroughly that he could sleep in this downpour. Or it could be a victim of some crime. Oh well, star citizen Soul Evans would check it out and see if the person needed help._

_He entered the alley, his hands still stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. Keeping mindful of the fact that he may be attacked, Soul stuck to the side of the alley opposite that of the Dumpster. With each step, his view of the person behind the Dumpster improved, as did his night vision._

_In the poor excuse for light, he saw only a small frame, like that of a child, laying on its side. The figure was still hard to see, laying in the depths of the shadows appeared to be wearing entirely white garments. Odd._

_"Hey, you alright?" Soul asked neutrally, hiding concern for what might be a child while being wary of a trap of some sort. Granted, it would be the most ridiculous trap of all time, set in weather that nearly guaranteed no one would be caught in it._

_The figure didn't answer, or even stir for that matter._

_"Are you all right?" Soul called a little louder._

_Still no response._

_The young man rolled his eyes and walked forward, knelt down and grabbed the shoulder of the figure. He shook the person to try and wake them up._

_"What the...?" It was a mannequin. Or worse, a love doll. Soul wasn't going to check. "Well... I feel stupid." He spoke to no one and expected no answer._

_A splash in a puddle to his right made him turn to see what had caused it._

_The end of a white cane appeared in front of his face. Soul focused his eyes on it for a second, going cross-eyed in his effort. The cane moved forward and bumped his nose gently._

_"What the hell?"Soul swatted the cane away. He saw no one carrying it. In fact, it had disappeared entirely. The Death Scythe glanced around the alley quickly, looking for where it had gone or who had held it._

_Only the rain made a noise._

_"FOOL!" _

_The cane reappeared in front of him and struck him hard between the eyes._

Soul shouted in pain and sat up from the bed. His hands moved to his forehead in reflex.

"WAGH!" Maka squealed as she started from a dead sleep and fell off the bed with a _thump_ and a groan.

"What the hell, Soul!" Maka's head reappeared above the edge of the bed.

He removed his hands from his face and looked at his fiancé with a smile somewhere on the corner of apologetic, pained and embarrassed. It was a strange intersection and never showed well on anyone's face.

"Sorry... I had the weirdest dream. I think some guy was in an alley or something and he kept hitting me with his cane..." Embarrassment grew as he explained his dream.

Maka arched and eyebrow and then a smile bloomed on Maka's face as he explained the dream.

"Soul, there are _some_ dreams you might want to keep to yourself. Either that or find a way to explain them without making it sound like a bondage fantasy."

Soul drew breath to fire back a return salvo of insults but was cut off.

"Fool!"

Soul choked on his own lungs as they made a bid for freedom to with the scream he'd tried to let out on reflex. He merely fell off the bed and began coughing as his organs reordered themselves.

Maka's head spun towards the person who'd spoken so fast that she pulled a muscle in her neck. She too fell down, clutching her neck in pain.

"My my. This reminds me of a story..."

The two students _knew_ that voice. They both stopped in the middle of their anguish/organ rearrangement and made a particularly disgusted face. [1] It was the sort of face that can only be made a certain person around. The weapon and meister looked up at the source of the voice.

There, standing on the bed, gesticulating wildly with a cane, pacing back and forth and telling a rambling story of no coherence or relation to anything that had ever happened to anyone was that one person:

Excalibur. [2]

If synchronized screaming were an Olympic sport, Soul and Maka would have won the gold medal for the U.S. for the next three games. Miles away, dogs perked their heads up in the early morning sunshine, babies cried and, somewhere, a glass fell from an astonished hand and shattered.

The scream also had the effect of waking everyone in the consulate compound.

Within ten seconds, Spirit, Black Star holding Tsubaki in her chain scythe form, Kid holding Liz and Patty in the incredibly strange grip that only he had the pinky strength to make possible. All of the men were dressed in their night clothes, [3] clearly having been awoken by the tandem scream.

In a nanosecond, the three would-be rescuers managed to glimpse the entire scene. Soul sitting on the floor with his forehead a bright pink color, gaping up at Excalibur on the bed. Maka backed into the corner, one hand on her neck, looking like she was trying to get away from a diseased animal. Excalibur facing away from the door, lecturing the two on the importance of not interrupting him. Oh, and the fact that Soul and Maka slept in the nude when possible.

The reactions were varied. Spirit clutched at his eyes as though they had been sprayed with acid while his nose bled. Black Star passed out, his mind shutting down with the sound of a light bulb breaking, at the sight of his best friend and childhood friend naked. Kid ignored the general state of pantslessness[4] exhibited by all but himself and Black Star and fired two rounds, one from Liz and one from Patty at Excalibur.

The low-intensity rounds made from his soul wavelength struck the ancient weapon in the back, cutting him off while he was giving a lecture on not cutting him off. The force of the rounds sent him flying into the wall above the bed. Excalibur impacted the wall, hung there for a moment and then fell onto the bed.

"If you intend to wake me up after so little sleep, then at least have the courtesy to be symmetrical!" Kid shouted at the semi-conscious weapon on the bed before walking away.

Dumbfounded at the insane speed at which everything had changed, Soul and Maka stared at each other over the bed.

"Did Papa fall over holding his face?" Maka asked vacantly as she stared at the door where Tsubaki, dressed in a conservative tank top and pajama pants fanned Black Star's face as she tried to wake him.

"Uh huh." Soul responded, equally absent.

"And Black Star made a popping noise and fell over."

"Uh huh."

Maka looked over at her weapon. "And Kid _shot_ Excalibur." Maka grew incredulous, not believing it even after seeing it herself.

"Uh huh."

"Why has _no one_ ever thought of that?"

"Not sure. But we need to get dressed." His tone grew worried. He wore a deer-in-the-headlights look.

Maka tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"

"Mama." His voice was dead. No emotion. _Nothing_.

"Mama?" Maka followed Soul's gaze to the door where Kami stood. She was wrapped in a bed sheet. "Mama!" She cried.

Kami was smiling, surveying the carnage. She then looked from Maka to Soul with a smile that was totally unreadable. Kami stared at Soul for a long moment. Uncomfortably long for both her daughter and future son-in-law.

The smile broadened. "Well, you too had an eventful morning already." Kami bent down and hauled Spirit to his feet. The weapon's face was covered in a smile of utter confusion, his eyes appeared sightless. "And I see why you two are expecting as well." The smile had changed to a devious smirk.

Maka tried to stammer out a question, no doubt wondering what her mother meant, but jealous rage short circuited her brain because she already knew what her mother meant. She had been checking out Soul!

Kami laughed, enjoying her daughter's display, and led her ex-husband away to their room. From the hallway, Spirit could be heard repeating "My Maka's a woman now..." in disbelief.

Embarrassed beyond words, Maka turned and looked back at Soul, who still thought he was a deer staring at an oncoming truck. The weapon/deer realized a _bigger_ truck was coming from Maka's direction and turned his head towards her slowly.

"You ass! Put on some clothes!" Maka shouted.

Tsubaki, still trying to revive Black Star blushed but kept her attention on _her_ boyfriend.

When Soul failed to respond, Maka called upon her vast reserve of agility. From her crouched position, Maka jumped over the large bed, grabbed the top sheet and yanked it with her. The sheet came free of the bed, likely afraid for its life if it didn't, and sent Excalibur, who was just regaining consciousness, spinning the opposite direction into the wall next to the bed.

Before the ancient weapon slid to the floor, Maka had wrapped the sheet around Soul toga-style. Within seconds she had done the same for herself using the massive comforter on top of the bed.

Shaken from his deer-trance, Soul stood up next to Maka and stared at her. "Damn Maka. I haven't seen you do anything like that since our last mission."

Maka smiled and kissed Soul on the cheek. "That was hardly a week ago." She said sweetly.

"Really? Feels like months..." Soul returned his attention to center stage, the bedroom door. Black Star was regaining consciousness as his brain booted back up.

The two walked to the door and greeted Tsubaki.

"Morning Tsubaki." Maka said cheerfully.

"Mornin'." Soul echoed.

"Good morning. Sorry about all of this..." Tsubaki looked as embarrassed about everything as her friends.

"It's ok. It wasn't your fault." Maka assured her.

Black Star groaned from the floor as he lifted his head. "What happened?" He asked suspiciously as he eyed his friends dressed for a frat party. "Did someone throw a toga party that I wasn't invited to?"

Maka smiled sweetly. Soul side-stepped. He knew that smile _all_ too well. "Are you ok, Black Star?"

"Yeah. I remember we heard you two scream like school girls and we came to see if you were being attacked and then I don't remember anything after that." Black star rubbed the back of his head.

Maka's smile sweetened. "Good. Maka... _Kick_!"

Maka's foot shot out from the folds of the comforter and impacted with Black Star's face propelling him into Tsubaki's waiting arms.

"'Maka Kick'?" Soul asked, looking at her sideways.

Maka looked surprised, as if it were nothing new. "What? I don't have a hardcover with me and my Kindle's not that durable. The Kick works."

"Ahem." Everyone, even Black Star, turned towards the origin of the noise. Excalibur stood behind them. "Well, as I was trying to say before I was set upon like a steak in a dog pound... Say, that reminds me of the time that I went to Kandahar in the 18-" Maka raised her foot threateningly. "Ahem, right. Breakfast is served."

With a jump and a "Yahoo!" Black Star was gone.

* * *

><p>"So Maka, show me your ring." Kami said conversationally to her daughter at breakfast.<p>

"Sure Mama. Here." Maka held her hand out to her mother, seated next to her on the left.

Kami examined the ring with a "Hmm...", and gently slipped it off her daughter's finger, holding it up to the light. The older woman squinted her eyes at the reflection, much as Kid had done the night before. After some close examination, she brought the ring down and examined the band, running her fingers over it and testing the hardness with a finger nail. Far from a laboratory analysis, but good enough for someone versed in jeweler trade. Finally, Kami turned to Soul with a blank look.

"Soul, is this platinum?"

"Uh, yeah..." Soul bowed his head slightly and placed a hand on the back of his head in embarrassment. He braced for a lecture on spending his money more wisely, especially with a child on the way. He didn't, however, prepare for a girlish squee of delight.

The rest of the group eating a late breakfast had been watching with mild interest. Kami was still more than a bit of an "x factor"; no one really knew her that well, save Black Star who'd grown up with Maka, but Kami had changed much since he'd last seen her. Everyone, except Excalibur who sat sipping his tea with an ice pack on his top hat, fell to the floor.

"Ohmygod! This is a perfect ring Soul! I've never seen one from this designer! And the stone is so huge, but so low profile! It won't snag or get in the way! And it's _platinum_!" Kami gushed about the ring, oblivious to the majority of the dining room's occupants having made a sudden drop in altitude.

Spirit pounded on his chest trying to remove his breakfast from his lungs. He glared at Soul once oxygen was once again flowing into his lungs. "Platinum?" He whispered fiercely.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Soul shrugged. "Don't worry, I've got plenty of money saved up for anything that might come up." Soul assured his senior when his glare intensified.

"Good. Now I have to go and see what the hell is up with Kami." Spirit tried to rise to his knees but forgot he was under the table. He fell back to the floor after banging his head on it.

Maka recovered first. "Mama? What's gotten into you?" She said as she braced herself on the chair and then sat back down, facing her mother.

The woman stopped in the middle of a sentence adoring the craftsmanship and looked at Maka. A blush covered her face. "Sorry... It's something I picked up on my travels. I got to learn a lot about precious stones and jewelry as a hobby.

Slowly, seats were reoccupied as everyone recovered from the outburst from the normally reserved Kami. Sometimes when a constant of the universe shifts, the human mind reels. Spirit's mind sure as hell was reeling.

"You never told me about that." Spirit said in equal parts wonder and hurt that she had kept something like a new hobby from him.

"It never came up. Don't give me that kicked puppy look." Kami smiled at him, trying to make him feel less left out. The man had told her everything that had happened to him since she left, sometimes in too much detail when it came to his escapades at Chupacrabra's, while she had said very little about her missions all over the world. "We'll talk about it later, I promise."

Spirit relaxed and started attacking his eggs again.

As the rest of the group returned to their breakfasts, Black Star stared open-mouthed at Kami.

"You... You made a squee noise." Black Star said in disbelief. "What's next? Kid and Liz hook up? What is wrong with the world?" He shouted and stood looking at every one. Sometimes when a person's world view is upset, they tend to go off the deep end.

On reflex, Kid and Liz exchanged a glance and then turned bright red.[5]

Black Star's eyes, as well as those as everyone else at the table, opened wide. A dramatic gasp came from someone. Not Excalibur though, he remained calmly sitting and sipping his tea.

"I don't know what's going on! The world's gone insane!" Black Star jumped down from his chair and ran screaming wildly from the room.

Tsubaki faced the table and bowed. "Sorry... he doesn't take change well." She ran off after her boyfriend.

All eyes watched Tsubaki's retreating back.

"Huh." Soul said as he grabbed his glace of orange juice. "That was weird."

Breakfast finished peacefully.

* * *

><p>The eventful morning gave way to foreboding as afternoon relieved morning of its duties. Despite the joking and levity, they were there for a specific reason. They were there to take down a murderer-turned-pre-Kishin. The matter of avenging fallen students was a bonus to the completion of their mission.<p>

With nothing but prepare for their foray out into the city that night, the teams tried to distract themselves. Their briefing and pre-mission meeting would start at six that night, with some time to fit themselves with gear for the mission. Then they would head out to the area most commonly prowled by the Kishisake-onna.

Before six came, though, the teams had to wait. As the time drew nearer, anticipatory adrenaline began to flow in most of the weapons and meisters. It caused the sensation of a tingling in the pit of their stomachs and an odd sensation in their fingertips.

The exception being the one person incapable of thinking about anything but his ego. He was more shaken by how much his world and all the constants therein were changing. Black Star hadn't left his room since breakfast and could be shouting about how nothing was sacred and whether or not he could surpass God with all of the changes taking center stage away from him. Tsubaki did her best to console him.

Soul encased himself in a world of music, laying on a couch in the consulate's guest lounge. His head rested in Maka's lap, who sat curled up with her e-reader. Soul's foot moved in time with the beat of whatever music he was listening to, something rather upbeat or some harder rock to help psyche himself up for what could be a massive battle that night. After all, being nervous wasn't cool. Maka simply distracted herself with a guilty pleasure of hers: Tom Clancy.[6] She was reading _Without Remorse_, which she found useful for the mission at hand and as a distraction. Kelley had to deal with some serious demons, not unlike Soul. And he'd found a great woman, as she liked to think Soul had as well.

Kid sat on another couch with Liz as they watched daytime TV, which, even in Japan was awful. Kid sat with one foot resting on the couch, making him resemble a coiled spring and his arm on the back of the couch. Diffusing this appearance, Liz sat with his arm behind her and leaning on him, smiling for no apparent reason.

It seemed that the two had been hiding their more-than-weapon-and-meister relationship for a while, but Maka speculated that they hadn't done much physically until the plane had landed for refueling in Hawaii. [5] A joke about sex on a plane had yielded a mad blush from the two, confirming that suspicion and an obnoxiously loud outburst of laughter from Patty.

The younger Thompson sister sat on the floor, close to the TV, watching the daytime variety show with interest. Every once in a while she would howl with laughter and roll around on the floor. The weird part was that, according to Liz and all evidence, Patty spoke word none of Japanese, yet Kid said she laughed at the appropriate time for a joke's punch line. The result was a general shrugging of shoulders. Patty was Patty, and only she knew how she worked.

Sid and Nygus[7] retreated to the consulate's gym to spar and train. The two instructors had largely kept to themselves the entire trip, which was not that odd. Sid largely considered the three teams to have been taught everything that they could be taught and that the rest of their training would be learned from experience, of which they had plenty. The zombie often remarked about how much they had grown in recent years and how proud he was to have been their instructor. When he was alive, anyways. Nygus largely stuck with Sid. She tended to share his assessment of the students, but she commented that they still needed watching. Especially Black Star. But his brashness was often countered by true skill hidden beneath his ego.

Spirit and Kami had retreated to their room not long after announcing that the meeting would be at six that night, as was their duty with Kami in charge of the mission and Spirit as her second. In their room, the meister and weapon finally sat down and really talked at length for the first time since Kami had agreed to see Spirit again. Kami told her tales of missions and things that she had seen all over the globe as well as a few of the hobbies that she'd picked up to ward off the rigors of travel. Before long the two were talking and laughing like they were kids again. It was almost like the two were meeting for the first time, all past transgressions and wounds distant memories. One thing led to another and their door stayed closed until they both emerged, slightly red-faced and recently showered, hours later.

* * *

><p>At six o'clock, Kid turned off the TV, much to Patty's annoyance.<p>

"I was watching that Kid!" She whined. The documentary on pandas had kept her attention for the last hour. How the program could cram in another hour on the most useless bears in the world was beyond Kid.

"It's time for the meeting, Patty." Kid said evenly.

"All right." Patty sighed and got up. Instantly, her annoyance was forgotten and she bounded down the hallway to a conference room that they were to use. Kid and Liz merely looked at each other and shrugged.

"Come on Soul, time to go." Maka said to her partner as she turned her e-reader off.

Soul continued to snore softly.

Maka smiled and bent over, awkwardly kissing him. The angle was a little weird, and so was being upside down compared to him.

The weapon opened his eyes as she pulled away. He yawned loudly and checked his watch. "Ah yeah. The meeting." He grumbled. Soul turned off his MP3 player, removed the buds from his ears and wrapped the cord around the player, stowing it in his pocket.

"Do I have to get up?" He asked tiredly looking up at Maka.

"Yep. We're going out tonight. We have to kill the Kichisake-onna, remember?"

Soul's eyes opened fully at the mention of their target. They _had_ to do this. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and walked with Maka to the conference room where the weapon/meister teams were meeting.

Soul and Maka entered after Kid and the Thompson sisters and found that they were the last to arrive. Sid and Nygus sat at the table next to Spirit and Kami, who sat at the head of the table, farthest from the door. Black Star and Tsubaki sat at the halfway down the table on one side, where Kid, Liz and Patty were taking seats opposite them.

Ox and Havar, whom Soul and Maka hadn't seen since they arrived at the consulate sat between Spirit-Kami and Black Star-Tsubaki. The two looked like hell, having spent the night before searching out the Kichisake-onna against Lord Death's orders. Kami had already given the sleep deprived duo a dressing down and then a hug in consolation of their loss.

Standing in a corner with his eyes closed and his arms crossed was Syed. Elena leaned against the wall next to him, looking uneasy. Syed was always the calm and aloof type, much like Soul. The two had gotten along well, often having entire conversations in ten or fewer words that would have taken ten minutes for others to convey. Elena was a naturally bubbly girl, but she looked up to her meister so much that she tried to emulate his every trait, usually failing miserably. Elena was Syed's one weakness. He would do everything that he could to help her, more than a few times "dying" in their training sessions to save Elena from that fate. Maka had been forced to take Syed aside one day to explain from hard-won personal experience that it was the weapon's job to protect the meister and the meister's job was to make sure that they didn't wind up in a situation that called for self-sacrifice.

Soul walked up to his former "student" and held out a hand. Without a word, Syed took it and the two executed a bro hug. If there were such a thing, the bro hug would occupy a space in the "Bro Hug Hall of Fame" for most meaning conveyed by the gesture. Soul was sorry for what had happened and that he felt like shit over it. Syed was sorry as well, he'd miss them and that Soul shouldn't blame himself for something that hadn't been anticipated, even by Lord Death.

Maka gave Elena a hug that conveyed similar emotions to her friend. A few whispered words were passed between the two. Tears brimmed in both sets of eyes but were fought down.

Soul and Maka took their seats at the end of the table across from Spirit and Kami. Syed remained standing in the corner, his eyes closed once more. Elena remained by her meister's side, looking slightly awkward as she leaned against the wall.

Kami stood. "Now that everyone is here, we'll be going over the mission for tonight, and as many nights as needed until the mission is complete." Kami began. Her expression and tone were steely. It was time for business. "We have five teams of students that will be conducting this mission as well as two teams of instructors that will act as command and control and a quick reaction force.[8]

"Because of the serious nature of this mission and the price of failure to follow orders, you _will_ be expected to follow our orders immediately." Kami paused and glared at Black Star who shrunk under her fierce gaze. She was in full grizzly bear mode now. "And, as part of our mission orders from Lord Death, the two teams on instructors _will_ intervene in the fight if it looks like the Kichisake-onna is too powerful.

"As Lord Death has told all of you, this pre-Kishin is well on her way to _being_ the next Kishin. She is incredibly fast, strong and mad. Do not underestimate her capabilities. Her primary weapons appear to be numerous pairs of scissors that measure a foot and a half in length." Kami cut off numerous exclamations and questions about the size of such a weapon. "We don't know where she gets them. She could even be part weapon, and pull parts of herself away from her body as weapons. This is rare, but not unheard of. You must be prepared for the fact that she could pull a nearly endless supply of scissors from her body to use as weapons.[9]" Kami's expression softened slightly. "Stick with your teams and you'll do well."

Spirit stood beside his meister. "All right, we're sticking with the normal weapon/meister teams. Teams will be grouped and travel with another team. We're pairing ranged fighters with close combat specialists to try and even the playing field a bit. Ox will lead a group made up of himself, Havar, Syed and Elena. Kid will lead group made up of himself, Liz, Patty, Soul and Maka."

"What about us?" Black Star asked, confused.

"You are going to act as a recon team. You like climbing and being stealthy, well, trying at least, so you are going to be scouting the patrol areas from above. You will be looking for the target and aiding whichever teams make contact with the Kichisake-onna first. You're one of the fastest meisters we have at our disposal and your entry will likely distract her and make an opening for a killing blow, failing that, we've got a third team on the scene." Kami explained.

She ignored Black Star's shout of joy at his special task and moved on. "Because we can't tell exactly when or where the pre-Kishin will appear, all weapons are to remain ready for combat. I'm sorry, but your legs won't be sore in the morning like your meister's will."

"How will you guys be moving around?" Tsubaki asked.

"We'll be in a van provided by the consulate. We have all the equipment needed to direct you and it's been modded to move real freakin' fast." Spirit answered with a smile.

"Please tell me you aren't driving." Soul groaned. Spirit hung his head.

"That's me, actually. I was a very safe driver when I was alive." Sid said, giving Soul a thumbs up.

"Any more questions?" Kami asked.

"Who gets the pre-Kishin soul?" Syed asked, not opening his eyes.

"That has already been decided. No one is to consume the soul in the field." Kami stated. Her tone suggested that she might _retrieve_ the soul if it was eaten.

Silence hung in the air.

"Very well. If everything is understood, we'll be getting supplies and equipment in half an hour. Everyone should get changed into what they are wearing into the field. Remember, we don't know if we'll find the Kichisake-onna tonight, so wear comfortable clothing so you don't get exhausted or injured from walking. Dismissed."

* * *

><p>"'Armory'? Why would be need an armory? We already have our weapons." Black Star snorted as he stared at plaque outside the room.<p>

"'Supply Room' and 'Equipment Room' were already taken by the janitorial staff." Kid answered. "It may not house weapons per se, but this is where supplies for missions in the Tokyo area are kept. We could outfit twenty teams with the gear in this room."

"Huh. Still a stupid name." Black Star complained as he placed his hand on the palm scanner mounted on the wall near the door handle. It verified his identity and unlocked the door.

Inside the armory, there were rows of generic metal shelving. Each shelf held some type of equipment. One rack held rows of backpacks that contained first aid kits, tablet computers linked to one another for tracking and information sharing and basic survival gear in the event that their mission took them well into the country side. Another rack held radios of varying sizes and capabilities as well as any kind of headset and hands-free option conceivable. The list of equipment went on and on. There was even a clothes rack with twenty neat sets of urban-patterned MCCUUs[10] with DWMA insignia if they chose to wear them.

Soul let out a long whistle. "Cool. Well, I'm impressed. Sign me up for the DWMA army."

"Very funny, Soul. You know Father likes to be prepared for just about anything."

"Got a tank in the garage?" Black Star joked.

Kid just glared at him.

"Enough, _boys_. Get what we need and get out." Maka sighed in frustration.

"Yeah yeah." Soul grumbled as he grabbed a backpack and radio. He would only need it in the event of a dire emergency, but Kami emphasized preparation for this mission.

Taking the prepared backpacks and double checking their contents and batteries took only a few minutes. Feeling like they were going off to war rather than a mission, the students climbed into the cargo van driven by Nygus.

"You got that feeling too, Kid?" Soul asked the Reaper quietly as they lagged behind the others.

Death the Kid thought for a moment. "Yes. I have an uneasy feeling about this mission." He said as he climbed into the van.

"Not cool." Soul muttered to the universe at large as he slammed the sliding door.

* * *

><p>The unmarked and inconspicuous DWMA vehicles left the consulate just after dusk fell on the city. Street lights were already alive and humming their monotone song of devotion to illumination, young children were washed and put to bed, students finished homework they had put off during the afternoon and, somewhere, the Kichisake-onna went on the prowl.<p>

The two-vehicle convoy traveled along the night streets of neighborhoods going to bed for half an hour or so. The drive was disquieting if only for how _normal_ it felt.

_It's so weird._ Soul thought as he looked out the window. _We're going to fight someone this powerful in the middle of freaking neighborhoods. These people have no idea what's going on, either. They just hear about strange murders. And we fight for these oblivious people. _Soul snorted in irritation. _Is that supposed to be noble or something?_

Maka placed her hand on his neck from the seat behind him. Soul tilted his head towards the comforting gesture. She must have heard his thoughts or felt his emotions well enough to know he was upset.

_We risk our lives because no one else can or will._ Maka whispered over their resonating souls.

Soul placed his hand over hers and closed his eyes, letting her soothing presence calm him. This was the calm he had been seeking all day. He needed his mind clear and his soul resonating. That was all. And only Maka could make that happen.

Soul relaxed himself nearly to the point of meditation, drawing on Maka's relaxed soul wavelength for guidance.

Without warning, Maka jerked her hand away from his neck as though she had been burned. "STOP THE CAR!" she shouted.

Nygus complied after the she shook off the shock of being yelled at so suddenly. Sid must have seen their vehicle stopping because he too brought his van to a halt.

Before the vehicle had come to a stop, Maka had grasped Soul by the handle and leapt from the door. Soul had changed even before she had spoken, he knew something was wrong, he could feel Maka's panic and urgency.

"Maka! What's going on?" Kid shouted from the van.

"She's here!" Maka tried to shout over her shoulder, but her words died in her throat.

A pair of scissors the size of gardening shears flew through the air and impacted the lead vehicle's side door. The force of the impact crumpled the door inwards through the doorway it covered. The entire vehicle rocked under the blow.

Three more pairs of the lethal projectiles followed in rapid succession, penetrating the engine block, half-caving the roof and blasting the passenger door into the vehicle. Each impact was followed by the shrieks of tearing metal and smashing glass. Each pair of scissors increased the tilt of the vehicle until the last pushed the van past its tipping point, letting it crash to the street on its side.

Maka screamed. There were no words, no curses, just a short sound of surprise and terror. In times of intense stress, the mind doesn't allow the body to stand still and loose a wail of loss, that's only in the movies and TV. Maka was experiencing the same shock one would see if they were staring at a building that collapsed in an instant for no reason. The two events are equally unfathomable for an unprepared mind and seem to occur multiple times as the mind replays what was just witnessed to see if it had actually happened.

However, survival is far more basal than fear. They were under attack by their target, direction unknown. She had no time to run to the van, screaming for her mother and father. There was a threat here and now and she had to deal with it.

Adrenaline surged through her body, heightening her senses, raising her awareness, boosting her reaction time, filling her muscles with limitless reserves of energy and electrifying her soul.

"Maka!" Soul shouted.

The meister raised her scythe with one hand, deflecting the scissors thrown at her without having to see them. Soul had told her merely by seeing it. The two were as one being.

Two more pairs of scissors followed in rapid succession, thrown with disturbing speed and accuracy. One aimed at the meister's head, one at her knee. Maka jumped from the path of the pair aimed at her leg and deflected the other.

From a rooftop across the street from the stricken van, the Kichisake-onna laughed. The madness of the laugh would have made even Stein green with envy.

"You're good!" The woman screeched in delight. "And pretty!" The woman leapt from the roof to the ground, landing on her feet as though the three-story drop were a mere hop. She stood thirty feet from Maka. "People say I'm pretty all the time! Tell me, do you think I'm pretty?" She laughed again as she pressed her hands to her hips and drew them away, each with a pair of massive scissors in them, held like daggers.

Kid, Black Star and Havar ran to surround the woman, forming a semi-circle around her, the building and a wall forming the rest of the perimeter. Each meister brandished their weapon, ready for an attack. Nygus, almost completely useless without a meister to wield her, ran to the stricken van to aid Spirit, Kami and Sid, assuming they were still alive.

Silence reigned like a tyrant as the four teams of weapons and meisters resonated their souls, forming a nine-member entity of one mind.

"Well? Am I pretty?" The woman shrieked.

"You're a hag." Maka spat.

With an otherworldly scream of rage the woman charged Maka covering the distance in a fraction of a second.

The battle was on.

Maka barely managed to parry the two scissors that were aimed at her chest. The woman was _fast._ The girl and woman stood locked for a moment, trying to force the other back.

Black Star leapt at the woman, holding Tsubaki in her Enchanted Blade form at his hip, preparing a devastating thrust to the Kishicake-onna's side. The pre-Kishin pushed off of Soul's handle, moving herself from the path of Black Star's attack. She swung the scissors, opening them and exposing the razor-sharp blades, at the ninja's arm.

It was too late for Black Star to change his course. He was an object flying along its trajectory, unable to change it. Maka was unable to swing her weapon for fear of hitting her companion. Black Star would lose an arm in the best of cases.

When the blades were mere inches from the ninja's arm, the woman was struck in the face by a wave of soul energy. She was thrown back with tremendous force, tumbling into a wall on the far side of the street, cracking it when she impacted. Blood leaked from the wound on her forehead.

The shot originated from Syed who leaned against their van, propping Elena on the hood. His shot had passed between Maka's neck and Black Star's nose with a half inch margin of error on the other side and hit the woman between the eyes.

No time was spared marveling at the miraculous shot. Ox sent a bolt of lightning at the pre-Kishin as she staggered to her feet. She was struck with the full force of the electricity, releasing a agonized scream and convulsing as the current tore through her system. A volley of fire from Kid was added to the onslaught, striking her with a barrage of pink soul energy. A wall of dust was thrown up by the impacts and pulverized rock of missed shots.

As the lightning bolt dissipated and Kid's last shot impacted, Black Star and Maka moved forward, placing themselves between the billowing dust and the other two meisters. They were under no illusions that they had defeated her already.

The echoing thunder of gunfire and lighting gave way to the strangest sound since the battle had commenced. Sobbing.

Slowly, the dust settled and revealed their enemy still very much alive. She was far from unhurt, though. Her kimono was torn, tattered and burnt. It hung in shreds from her frame, revealing traditional cloth binding rather than modern undergarments. Her flesh was burnt and bleeding in places and her hair singed. Entire tracts of skin had been burnt away, revealing blackened muscle and bone beneath.

The pre-Kishin sat on her legs, sobbing into her hands. She cries were of pain and something that took a long moment to register in the joined minds: loss.

"I'll never be pretty..." The Kichisake-onna moaned. "Not now. Not after what you've done to me." Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of a sob and raised her head to face the students.

The group collectively recoiled. Her face was taken from a horror movie. Her flesh was burned nearly black, cracks in the scorched tissue bled freely, resembling rivers as her blood ran through the cracks in her seared face. Sections of the pre-Kishin's face were burnt to the now carbonized and blackened bone. The left side of her extended lips were burned away entirely, exposing her teeth to the world.

Her eyes, however, were truly disquieting. Blood ran from her tear ducts, further coating her features. But the eyes themselves were untouched, radiating hatred with the intensity of the sun itself.

"_You_!_ You did this to me_!"

Without even appearing to rise, the woman threw herself into the air. At the apex of her flight, she screamed in rage as loud as Ragnarok's Screech Beta. Her arms blurred as her hands made contact with the nearest part of her body and hurled pairs of scissors of a more normal size at the students.

A cloud of the projectiles descended on the students. Maka and Havar began to spin their respective weapons and deflect the rain of scissors. Kid used the Thompson sisters and his superhuman reflexes to spot, target and deflect projectiles coming at him. Black Star used his Shadow Star technique, allowing Tsubaki to bat away the incoming weapons en masse. Syed took cover behind the van, letting the hail of scissors embed into the vehicle.

The onslaught was relentless. The Kichisake-onna did not let up. Even when she landed on the ground, she continued to send a wall of her weapons at the students.

Ox cried out as a pair of scissors slipped past his defenses and sunk into his thigh. Black Star was next to be hit, a pair of the accursed cutting tools hitting his shoulder and tearing his rotator cuff, rendering one arm useless. In Tsubaki's lapse of concentration caused by concern for her meister, another hit was scored on him, a pair of scissors tearing into his calf.

Kid's margin of error was small. His suit jacket and pants were scratched and torn by near misses, but his accuracy and reflexes held true. He'd go into fits after the battle at the asymmetry of the damage to his clothes, but he remained physically unharmed.

Maka's fingers bled from very near misses at the scissors impacted Soul's handle where she held it. The pain weakened her control of her weapon and slowed he reaction times. Every now and again, a lucky projectile would get through and tear at her skin or clothing, but no serious hits were scored.

Just as their collective strength was failing, the barrage ceased.

There was a limit to the number of scissors that the Kuchisake-onna could generate. Her ability came at a high cost.

The woman standing before the cracked wall now resembled a skeleton clad in cloth. It seems that she pulled a minute amount of material from her body and used her power to transform it into a weapon. Throwing so many at her attackers had consumed a massive amount of her body. She stood, panting heavily, staring unbelieving at her enemies and collapsed to her knees. Her shoulders sagged as she once again began to cry. Her pain-filled wails filled the streets and night air as the moon laughed unceasingly.

The group held themselves ready. They had no idea whether or not this were another ploy of the Kichisake-onna or whether she was as finished as she looked.

Maka walked towards the woman cautiously, holding Soul at the ready. The pre-Kishin made no move to attack. She made no acknowledgement of Maka's existence.

"It's time, Soul." Maka said quietly. This was more of a mercy killing than an execution now.

"Right." Soul responded.

Maka readied herself and raised her weapon. "Witch! _Hunter_!" She screamed as Soul began to glow with intense power, his blade expanding to an incredible size. Maka swung the blade down, slicing the pathetic soul in front of her in half.

The Kichisake-onna's body turned black and dissipated anticlimactically, leaving a red, scaly soul hovering where she had knelt. The scissors that covered the street like snow drifts sublimated into black smoke, leaving no hint that they had existed.

Black Star sagged to his knees as Tsubaki returned to her human form. She immediately began tending to her meister's wounds, leaving the blades in place for a doctor to remove and stitch. Ox limped to a wall with Havar's help, where he sagged and began to treat his wounds.

Nygus walked over with a bloody Sid who was covered in cuts from flying glass. Spirit held Kami's arm over his shoulder as she limped to the group, one of her legs bleeding where debris had sliced into the flesh. Spirit's other arm hung limp at his side, broken below the elbow.

Maka hadn't moved since she had killed the pre-Kishin.

"Maka?" Spirit called. "You ok?"

Slowly, Maka lowered her weapon and turned to face her comrades. Some of them gasped.

A final parting gift from the Kichisake-onna protruded from her abdomen.

Tears streamed down Maka's face. She was smiling, perhaps as her body pumped every kind of numbing agent that it could muster into her bloodstream.

Soul returned to human form and caught Maka as she collapsed. He was oddly calm, brushing an errant hair from her pale face.

"Maka!" Spirit let go of Kami, who nearly fell when her support was gone, and ran to his daughter. "Maka, you'll be ok! We'll call an ambulance!" Tears ran down the elder Death scythe's face.

Maka was still smiling. She looked at her father. "She's alright." Maka whispered, shock ebbing her consciousness. "Emi. She's alright." She answered her father's question before he could ask it.

Soul held his fiancé as her father wept over her. Soul kissed her as her consciousness faded. "See you soon, Maka." He whispered.

* * *

><p>Indeed, to Maka, it was a short period of time before she saw Soul again. Three days pass quickly when you're in an induced She awoke in a hospital recovery room that had been devoted to the injured students and instructors.<p>

"Hey." Soul greeted her with a smile.

"Hey." She responded, returning a faint smile. "Emi?"

"Fine. Just like you said." Tears brimmed in his eyes.

Moisture filled Maka's eyes as well. "Good."

Soul kissed her again before she retreated back to medicated sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>[1]<strong>

_**Warning: I can make no claims of the safety of this suggestion. Most of the results are SFW, but they may give you viruses, just like any other site on the internet. Do this at your own discretion.**_

**Google "Excalibur reaction" and check the image results. Some of them are **_**golden**_**. That's the face that I cannot hope to describe.**

**[2] Thank (or blame) ****Torrasque666 for the suggestion to bring the good 'ol E-Man in. It may have been ill-advised for me to do this **_**now**_** of all fucking times, but it was funny.**

**[3] Bet some of you were wanting me to do some heavy description of what these gentlemen wear to bed... or perhaps don't wear. It didn't fit any way I put it. So, for the curious:**

**Spirit - ...bed sheet. Don't think too hard or the nose bleed will propel you out of your chair.**

**Black Star - White boxers with black stars printed on them. Do I even need to say that at this point though?**

**Kid - Black pajama pants. ...Whoa, I heard some squee-ing preemptively through the time stream.**

**I hope your curiosity is satisfied. Now I'm taking a shower. I. Feel. DIRTY.**

**[4] Pantslessness - the state of not wearing pants.**

**Quick! A count: **

**Pantsless: Soul, Maka, Spirit and Excalibur**

**Wearing pants: Black Star and Kid.**

**[5] I decided to run with the Liz and Kid pairing. I got no negative feedback on that one, and a bit of positive feedback, so it sticks.**

**For those not keeping track, NtL's pairings are:**

**Soul and Maka (If this is news to you, what the **_**fuck**_** have you been reading?)**

**Medusa and Stein (Deal with it, I ship it.)**

**Tsubaki and Black Star**

**Spirit and Kami**

**Liz and Kid**

**Patty and... uh... giraffe? And not even sexually. She just likes giraffes. Or maybe carpet. Perhaps lamp? Screw it. I can't think of a pairing for her. At least not one that won't require buckets of brain bleach followed by a round of brain ammonia which makes brain chlorine gas.**

**[6] I know that I've stated to multiple people and in notes in the past that I don't like suffusing my own tastes on established characters. However, the book she is reading, _Without Remorse_ has a lot to do with fighting unconventionally in dark alleys and deals rather extensively with the psychological effects of such fighting.**

**Yes, a maternity book was recommended for her to read. I asked LinKura about what Maka would read, but in the time between the message being sent and the reply, I'd come up with my own answer. Don't worry, she'll be mentioned reading one later. It'll likely coincide with more in depth research on my part. Child development is something of a mystery to me, because being involved with something like that scares the shit out of me at this point in my life.**

**[7] I'm pretty sure that I've jumped **_**everywhere**_** for spelling her name. Sources are inconsistent and I've decided to say "Screw it, I'm the author". Her name is henceforth, until I fuck it up, spelled Nygus. Naigus all other times, I guess. You know who I mean anyways.**

**[8] The series put on the pretense of running the invasion of Brew as a military operation. If there is one thing that the Japanese get wrong in fiction it is the military, with a partial exclusion of "High School of the Dead".**

**I'm a war movie nut, as well as history buff. I know more than the average person, but I claim **_**no**_** firsthand knowledge of how military operations are carried out. I just think that I can get closer than a lot of people.**

**[9] **_**Heavy**_** amounts of artistic license being used here. The series has established that its possible for a meister, Maka in the case shown, to be able to produce weapons from their bodies as well. I understand that this is elaborated on in the manga, but I haven't gotten that far, so I don't know.**

**So, I take this concept a step further. Where does the Kichisake-onna get her weapons? Her own body. Now, some of you may call foul on my ignorance of the law of conservation of matter, but I respond preemptively by asking what happens to a weapon's body when they change forms? If the mass of the weapon stayed constant, the weapon would be so heavy that not even soul resonance alone could explain that away, so the law of conservation of mass and matter don't count in this universe. It's called suspension of disbelief people. **

**Honestly though, it's just terrifying for an insane woman to pull a nigh infinite number of pairs of scissors from **_**her own body**_** and using them as weapons against you.**

**[10] "Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform". Why military uniforms? Why not. Why Marine Corps? WHY NOT! Mostly, I like the look the the MCCUUs over the ACUs [Army Combat Uniform]. Why American fatigues? Because, as Rammstein stated, "We're all living in America." Honestly, It's because most of NATO uses similar fatigues and the DWMA **_**is**_** in Nevada.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Holy shit. This chapter took some SERIOUS work. 5 days of off and on writing and 8,022 words (excluding notes) later, we're done with this chapter.**

**This chapter, especially the bit with Maka being stabbed, took a **_**serious**_** toll on me. I almost had to stop and take a break to get my head back in order. But, I struggled through my nerves and finished it up. I actually got so caught up in it that I sunk the entirety of my 3 hour time between classes into this and almost missed my last class of the day.**

**Some of my personal tension came from the fact that I didn't know how the fight would go, who would get hurt, who would die or if she would escape until I finished this chapter. I wasn't joking about that. Actually, for the birefest of moments, I saw several characters die at different points, (Spirit, Kami, Kid, Ox, Maka and Emi, in rough order of deaths I saw), but I couldn't bring myself to kill any established characters.**

**I hope that the fight scene was as good as you guys were expecting. While I was writing it, it felt massive and epic, but now that it's done, it seems like I spent four chapters building up to a little blip. Dunno, I might be being hard on myself or I could be coming down from a writer's high. I will **_**NEED**_** reviews on the fight scene. If you guys weren't happy with that, I'll modify this chapter to kick over to a new one with a longer and rewritten fight scene, but that will take some really, really, really fucking well-founded feedback for me to go back to that bitch of a fight.**

**Just to say it in a clear way, Maka and Emi are fine. There will be some recap from Maka's perspective once the hail of scissors stopped to her waking up in the hospital, so some of the reasoning for that will be explained.**

**Also, I've started keeping more thorough and up-to-date logs on my profile, so if you want to know how a chapter is coming along, just check my profile. I also have listed some future projects/ideas.**

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><p><strong>AB: Dear God this took a lot of work. It's honestly harder to write these in installments rather than sitting down and writing the whole damned chapter in one or two major sessions. Especially when I sit down and have to reread half the chapter to remember what my previous train of thought was.**

**I had initially planned a long patrol that lead to them saving a victim. However, I had a mental image of the lead van catching a pair of doom shears to the side and crashing. Then **_**that**_** idea evolved into the final product. God I wish I could just plan a chapter and have it go as planned.**

**This chapter was very hard because I'm so frustrated with Soul and Maka lately. It's hard to write a nearly perfect romance for two people who don't exist in this world. Giving them everything that you've ever wanted and then having to sit back and smile at them as they enjoy their new lives can go beyond tortuous for a lonely hopeless romantic.**

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><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 8:<strong>

**mabello: I'm glad you liked the lemon. It was a bit of a challenge just getting it to happen, then writing it... yeah, it was difficult. It's good to know my work paid off.**

**SincerelyMolly: Some of my ideas I get from other lemons, some I get from RPs I've participated in and some just pop into my head. This was from the last category.  
>I write lemons for the reader to enjoy as well. It's no fun if only the characters are enjoying themselves, right? ;)<strong>

**bluenian98: I hadn't thought that someone might not know of the Mile-High Club, so I didn't even think to explain it. I tried to make up for that at the start of this chapter. I also elaborated a little more on Kid and Liz, partially thanks to your review. I've been toying with Patty as well. She's a fun character and I didn't really use her much before.**

**Torrasque666: We've already spoken already, but here's the Excalibur scene. It won't be his last appearance, though. I honestly love and hate him. He's awesome for his random psychotic breaks with reality, but they can be annoying as shit sometimes. That, and "Fool!" can be a great gag.**

**Emcronia: You'll be happy to know that I managed to study, do my homework and take my exams all whilst writing this in spurts. Even got a 93% on the zoology exam.  
>Liz and Kid are now canon within my little pocket universe of Soul Eater, partially in thanks to you as well.<br>In the manga, Patty apparently turned in the exam that she had giraffe'd and got 2 points for it. Patty is a bit of a fun character. She's a real black box (computer science speak for a mystery program that takes an input and gives an output, you get to figure out what happens inside the black box), and I get to tweak the inner workings. Her mind is a fun place, really.**

**Cheriolord: I actually derp'd and had to sit here and think about what "fair play" meant in context. My brain was a bit taxed at the time you sent that, so it took me a minute, but I got it. Feel free to call me a moron.  
>Thanks to your review and others, I decided to go ahead with the LizxKid pairing. I've taken to hear Stein's comment that Liz and Patty curb Kid's neurotic nature. If you noticed, I've had him griping less about asymmetry in recent chapters; a small clue that Liz may be helping Kid out psychologically as well.<br>Once more, I'm glad that my world-building isn't destructive to the established canon of the series. I don't want to rewrite **_**Soul Eater**_**, I just need to fill in the gaps that the writers left. By all means, if I make an assumption that doesn't work, **_**tell me**_**.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul 14: Well, with this fight concluded, (and I did say **_**this**_** fight) Maka is effectively benched for a while. But that's fine, it gives me some more material for later chapters.  
>Honestly, I don't think it's a good lemon unless the user is uncomfortable reading it in a public space (on the tame end of the spectrum) and is fighting the urge to "release some tension" or actually doing so while reading (on the more wild end). I seriously write my lemons with the conscious knowledge that if someone is going to fap to it, they might as well have good fap material. Yes, I'm a horrible pervert.<strong>

**Maka67: Wow, you fucking blew my mind here. In one review, you changed from an annoyance to a legitimate source for ideas.  
>I seriously considered having Wes be the person that they saved, but when the battle changed, that idea was left on the cutting room floor. However, I might still have Wes pop up while they remain in Japan as the rest of the crew recovers enough to travel.<strong>

**Welnakia: Ok, my ego swelled to the size of the MEEM building on campus (Google it, one of the tallest buildings in the Upper Peninsula) after reading this review.  
>As I've said a few times, all of the reviews asking for LizxKid are the reason that I kept going with the idea, so you can thank yourself for me not explaining it away innocently. I'm honestly flattered that you think that I capture them so well. I just tried to look back on the anime and remember how they interacted and try to show that in my story.<br>Also, that was some of the best, most specific and coherent feedback on my writing style that I've ever gotten. I know my style isn't exactly the norm and that I may put **_**too**_** much stock in making the reader **_**there**_**, but call me a reactionary to all the stories that I feel do a poor job of that ("They kissed deeply. It was hot. Then they fucked.").**

**Amarillys Nightshade: I hope that this chapter didn't disappoint! :)  
>Also, you are probably the second person to say anything about my world-building. I'm glad that you don't think that it's <strong>_**too**_** out of line.**

**Nikolai!: At the moment I'm typing this (6:08 p.m. 5/10), I've got 90 reviews total and 5,627 hits on NtL to date. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, and I'm deeply ashamed of myself for not having yet finished "A Perfect Resonance", but school, and the last desperate thrashing of summer before that, robbed me of the time needed to get caught up.  
>They do have a neat little invention called the "backspace" key. lol<br>As for the bondage, its case by case. No ropes, whips, chains, whipping, ball gags, candle wax or anything of that caliber, which I'd place in the "heavy" category of bondage. **_**Some**_** light bondage might find its way into the story, as well as toys and a few other kinks that I've kept in reserve.**

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><p><strong>P.S. Last month was my best on record, stat-wise. My total number of hits for NtL surpassed that of my previous major project that now sits like a neglected child, "Undead Diary". I also passed UD in number of words as well. Finally, and most importantly, my total monthly hits reach 5,092, my highest monthly total <strong>_**ever**_**.**


	10. Recovery and Proof

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own Kindle.**

**Editorial Status: Gone over. This was likely my worst published chapter as far as mistakes go. Apologies.  
><strong>

**A/N: This might be a bit confusing: Excalibur's stories will be denoted with roman numerals in brackets while the normal notes will appear as normal. I do this because a lot of times, the stories are ignored and/or talked over by everyone else. Important stories will occur in-place. Yes, this means Excalibur will be dropping in from time to time, like a dickheaded Batman. **

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 10: Recovery and Proof**

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><p>Maka sighed in frustration as she set down her "book" and stared up at the ceiling. <em>How <em>_long __am __I__ supposed__ to __stay __here?_ She asked herself. _It's __been,__ what, __5 __days __since __I __got__ stabbed?_ the meister groaned and closed her eyes.

"You ok, Maka?" Spirit asked from his hospital bed. He was layed up across the aisle and one bed to her right. Kami snoozed quietly directly across from her. "Need more pain killer?"

"I'm fine, Papa." Maka sighed. "I just want to go home. This hospital is getting irritating."

Her father smiled. "I know you hate hospitals, Maka. We'll go home once you're safe to fly." The Death Scythe grunted as he shifted his arm that was encased in a cast to rest on his stomach.

"I know." The girl pouted. "I just can't deal with the doctors. They're good, I know that, they saved my life. But most don't speak much English and Kid and Tsubaki aren't always around to translate.[1] That and we spent ten minutes trying to tell a nurse that Black Star needed help getting to the bathroom yesterday."

The ninja in question whimpered. "She didn't have to move this damned gown for me to take a piss. I can still move one arm! That's all I needed! But _nooooo_, she has to move it for me." Maka laughed at her friend's woes. "Hey, do you know how weird it is to have a sixty year old woman looking at your junk? I froze! I didn't know you could forget how to piss!"

Ox snorted a short laugh. "You're not the only one. Do you know how awkward it is to need help getting up from the toilet?"

"Can we keep the loud discussions about bodily functions and embarrassment to a minimum please? I'm trying to sleep." Kami said without opening her eyes or really even moving.

Silence settled over the group. It was late and their friends had been shooed out once visiting hours were over. Sleep sounded like a good idea, really. One by one bedside lights were turned off. The only remaining light came from the TV that Black star watched while wearing headphones. In a remarkable display of determination, the ninja decided that he had to overcome the language barrier by learning Japanese as quickly as possible, so he watched TV continuously, trying to absorb what he could by immersing himself in the language. Tsubaki tutored him when she came during visiting hours. So far, the results had been mixed. He could talk with a lab technician at length about the anime he watched, but the ninja had made a nurse cry when he had unwittingly called her a "cow-loving orchid".

Maka settled into her bed and tried to sleep. Sleep was rather hard to come by since their battle, though. Continuing nightmares that the scissors had pierced her flesh a few inches lower, damaging her uterus, rendering her infertile and killing Emi haunted the young meister.

Slowly, after what felt like hours, the blackness of sleep closed around her mind and took her.

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><p><em>"Witch<em> Hunter_!"__Maka__ screamed._

_As she swung Soul down on her devastated enemy, the mad smile returned to the Kichisake-onna's face. In a motion too fast for her to track, the woman revealed a final pair of scissors in her hand and her arm shot out, embedding the weapon in her stomach, a few inches above Maka's navel. The anguish of the attack never reached her brain as her system coursed with adrenaline, blocking out all pain._

_A flash of white light passed before Maka's eyes. In that nanosecond that seemed to stretch to infinity, Maka heard the giggle of a small child. Without any other sound, without hearing words, Maka knew, simply _knew_, that Emi would be alright. Maka knew that the wound, while grievous, was too high to endanger her child, but that it was high enough to have damaged her small intestine and that she should see a doctor very soon._

_The attack made no real difference. Newton's laws of motion were fully in obeyed now as Soul's blade swung down and neatly clove the pre-Kishin in two. The body of the evil woman broke apart in a black plume, leaving only her tainted soul behind._

_"Maka! Are you ok?" Soul screamed over their soul resonance._

_"Yeah. It missed."_

_"Missed what?" Soul was clearly confused at the calm tone of his wounded lover._

_"Emi."_

_"What about you?" Soul screamed desperately._

_"I'll be fine. I'm pretty sure."_

_"Maka, you ok?" Spirit called from the outside world._

_Maka slowly turned towards her father. She watched the color drain from the faces of her friends and parents. She slumped as shock set it, but Soul was there to catch her. Unconsciousness forced its way in and then blackness._

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><p>Maka opened her eyes. Soul sat next to her hospital bed. His arms were crossed, his eyes closed and his head lowered. He'd fallen asleep.<p>

"Morning." Maka said to him with a smile.

Soul's eyes opened at the sound of her voice. "Hey. Sleep well?"

Maka shrugged. "I slept. That's what I'm supposed to do, right? Lay in the bed, sleep, complain and be useless."

Soul laughed. "That's what getting injured is all about."

Maka smiled back at him. "How've you been? When you guys aren't here?"

Soul leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. "Bored. I spent a few nights wandering around checking out the architecture and a few museums. Kinda hard to enjoy a city when you don't speak the language. That and having your girl in the hospital. Tends to keep your mind occupied."

Maka lowered her head. "Sorry."

Soul flashed her his toothy grin. "Don't worry about it. Not your fault. You couldn't block that, we didn't see it coming. Besides, you're fine. So is Emi. That's cool in my book."

Maka looked up at him surprised that he was taking this so well. _Or__ pretending __to..._

Soul reached down and ruffled her hair that now hung loosely. There was no real motivation for her to put it up in her usual pigtails. "Don't worry. I'm ok. We're ok."

"What? No angsty drama?" Black Star asked loudly. "That's your thing isn't it? One of you gets hurt and the other mopes and blames themselves, right?"

Soul turned to look at his best friend sitting in the bed next to Maka. "Not cool man." Black Star's grin faded as Soul turned back to Maka. "Talk about buzzkill."

Maka smiled and giggled softly.

A voice came from the door. "Knock knock."

Soul turned again. "Hey Doc, 'sup?"

"Not much, Soul. And I'm not a doctor. I don't have a PhD yet." 'Doc' Nishimura replied with a smile. He held a clipboard in his hand.

"Well, you work with medical stuff, that makes you a doc, Doc."

Nishimura shook his head with a smile. "Americans." Daita Nishimura [2] had grown up in Japan and studied biotechnology in the United States at Harvard. He earned two bachelor's degrees and a master's in his ten years in the States. He made a conscious effort to lose his accent and learn the more common slang terms in order to make himself fit in more. He had been asked to act as an intermediary between the hospital's lab staff and the mostly American patients, even though he was in charge of the entirety of the lab. He and Soul had formed a friendship over the previous few days.

"Hey Daita, what brings you by? I thought our tests were done and everything." Black Star greeted the man.

"Well, I got the blood test results for Maka." He said, holding the clipboard up. "But, from what you've told me, this isn't news at all." The room was dead silent as Daita put on a serious face. "Maka, you're... pregnant. Dun dun _dunn_."

Saying that the room exploded with laughter would be a bit of an overstatement. The ham-ish presentation got a few chuckles.

"Damn. Was the presentation off?" Daita laughed.

"Wait, Maka is pregnant?" Ox asked, astounded.

"Oh yeah. Forgot that you weren't around when everyone found out, courtesy of the loud one here." Maka gestured towards Black Star who looked embarrassed.

"Who?" Ox asked, confused.

Both Soul and Maka stared at him.

"What? Really? Soul?"

"Yep. Pretty cool, I think."

Ox lay back in his bed. "Leave the country for a week and a half and the Book Worm starts dating her weapon."

"Actually..." Maka began and held up her left hand, showing Ox her ring.

Ox just stared. "A _week__ and __a __half_." He repeated. "What else? Is Lord Death actually a woman? Are Kid and Liz finally doing it?" Laughter that had started at the joke about Lord Death being a transvestite, possibly an _executive_ transvestite [3], stopped abruptly. "No. No. _No_. Not possible. I'm dreaming. I'm going back to sleep. Wake me when the world makes sense again." Ox rolled over, facing the wall.

Soul felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Black Star. "Well man, It's official, you're gonna be a dad. Guess I can stop thinking you two are crazy." The ninja smiled.

"You thought we were crazy?" Maka asked surprised.

"We had only Kid's word confirming that you _might_ be pregnant. For all I knew you two took some bad acid." The noisy ninja shrugged.

For some reason their friend's words stung Soul and Maka. How could anyone doubt them on this? That their first time was the best thing that had ever happened to them and that they were going to be blessed with a child. How could anyone doubt something to pure and beautiful as that? It felt like a white hot needle piercing their hearts.

Fortunately, Logic stepped in before Emotion got a chance to switch from Pain to Rage to Pummeling the Hell Out of Black Star. No one but them would ever know the emotions that were unleashed after years of doubt, petty fighting and mistrust. No one would ever know how the intense love two teens had for each other. They couldn't fault Black Star for not knowing that.

"You guys alright? You look like I just killed your puppy or something." Black Star asked, concerned.

"Yeah. We're good. Kinda hard to remember that not everyone knows... well, how we _know_, ya know?"

"Your grammar is atrocious." Ox observed dryly, still facing the wall.

Soul was about to reply with a comment on how Ox was the King of Denial at the moment, but Maka spoke first.

"Papa? Are you crying?"

All eyes turned to Spirit who was sitting in his bed with the back inclined. He sat, shaking as he tried to fight off sobs and clutched his sheets in his fists so hard that his knuckles were white. Tears streamed down his face, resembling a waterfall.

"What's wrong, dear?" Kami asked, slightly worried.

"Need some pain meds, Mr. Albarn?" Daita asked.

"No. I'm fine. Totally fine. Nothing's wrong." Spirit choked out between stifled sobs.

"Papa?"

"MYMAKAISGOINGTOBEAMOMMY!" Spirit unleashed his thoughts in a single word as he began to cry in earnest.

"Come on old man! We told you that!" Soul sighed in exasperation.

"ANDSOULISGONNABEADAD!" Spirit continued. The confirmation from the doctor had finally driven home the fact that his daughter was pregnant and his more powerful junior was the father.

A crash resounded in the hallway.

"Spirit! You're bothering people!" Kami hissed. Spirit's tears stopped like someone had turned off a water tap.

A tall man in his late twenties with snow-white hair stuck his head into the room. He wore a white dress shirt with a wine-colored tie. He held a folded suit jacket over his shoulder. "I'm sorry to bother you but, I thought I heard-"

Soul's eyes met those of the man. His eyes grew wide and his pupils dilated. Soul jumped to his feet and pointed at the newcomer, his mouth flapping, trying to form words.

"W...w...w-w...WES?" [4] Soul shouted.

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><p>"You know, I've never seen someone with a stomach wound punt a man across a room before." Wes chuckled before he took a sip of his coffee in the hospital cafeteria.<p>

Soul sat across the table from his older brother holding an ice pack on his head. An untouched cup of coffee sat on the table before him. Soul glared at his brother.

"Maka is pretty damned strong, even _with_ a healing stab wound."

"Why'd she kick you?"

"Probably for being loud. Didn't see the Maka Kick coming."

"'Maka Kick'?" Wes raised an eyebrow.

"Long story." Soul dismissed the question and took a sip of his coffee. He was surprised that Wes remembered how Soul liked it.

A silence fell between them like a fog. Their conversations usually wound up like this. The two Evans brothers were very different and had a hard time finding common ground more often than not.

"So..." Wes began, hoping to get his brother to talk.

"What are you doing in Tokyo? And in the hospital?" Soul asked bluntly.

"I'm in town visiting a friend who plays in the Tokyo Philharmonic. He got me tickets to the show last night. Just after he got off stage last night, he got hit in the head by a stage crew member who was moving a ladder. I was coming by to visit. I wanted to thank him for the tickets too. It was a good show." Wes explained.

"'s he ok?" Soul asked out of courtesy.

"Yeah. No concussion, but the ladder did some damage to his scalp, so they had to sew him up. They kept him overnight to make sure he didn't have any internal bleeding."

"Ah." Soul said calmly.

"Why are you in town? School?" Wes asked.

"Work, really. They wanted a couple of Death Scythes on the mission." Soul smiled his toothy grin. That was one area where he had Wes beat.

"I heard about that. Congratulations, by the way." Wes smiled. "I take it things didn't go as planned on your mission."

Soul's smile faded. "No. Almost half the team in the hospital with two more treated for cuts and scratches. Doctors didn't know how to treat a zombie anyways."

"Zombie?" Wes asked, confused.

"Yeah, one of the instructors with us. Sid. He's a cool guy. You know, for being dead."

"Huh."

"Sid's doing better than three of the students who were here before us." Soul stared vacantly at the floor some distance behind his brother, his tone hollow.

Wes tilted his head in question.

"Three of six students that Maka and I mentored last year... they weren't so lucky. We were called in after their mission failed."

"Wait, three students _died_?" Wes asked in shock.

Soul continued to stare at the floor. "They knew the risks when they accepted the mission. We all know them. No one expected the target to be so strong."

"Soul, you _helped _them. You prepared them as best you could. I know that. You don't do anything that matters to you half-assed. You can't blame yourself."

The Death Scythe finally looked his brother in the eye. "I do anyways. It's not a logical thing, Wes." Soul faltered and stared at his coffee cup.

The silence returned as the two sipped their drinks.

"What was that I heard that man screaming?" Wes finally addressed the elephant in the room.

Soul jumped and choked down the hot drink. "Yeah... about that..."

"So it's true?" Wes leaned forward, a serious look on his face.

Soul stared at his brother for a moment, looking for a way out of this. His shoulders sagged when he realized there wasn't. "Yeah."

"You're going to be a father?"

Soul nodded.

"At eighteen?"

"Yeah." Soul nearly whispered. He fought off the illusion that he was actually speaking to his father.

We leaned back and looked at the ceiling in puzzlement. "Huh. Did _not_ see that coming."

"Yeah, me neither." Soul agreed with a faint, rueful smile.

We looked back at Soul. "The girl who kicked you? Your partner... Maka, right?"

"Yeah."

"When did all this start?"

"What day is it?"

"Sunday, October 16th." Wes answered after checking his watch.

"Two weeks and a day ago.[5]" Soul answered.

Wes coughed on his coffee. "_Two __weeks_?" He asked astonished. "You've been dating for two weeks?"

Soul took a pull on his coffee. _Hell __with __it. __In__ for __a __penny, __in __for __a __pound. __Or __something__ like__ that._ "Engaged for a week.[5]"

Wes fell out of his chair. "Are you out of your _mind_ little brother?" We hissed when he righted himself and took his seat again. He'd only ever called Soul "little brother" in times when one or both of them were in truly deep shit, like the time Soul had accidentally scratched their father's grand piano.

"I've known Maka for years. We've lived together for four years, gone on missions and trained together. I know her, she knows me. I also know that I love her Wes. And not just in the shallow, pathetic way that most teenagers 'love' each other." Soul was practically growling at his brother as he tried to keep his anger in check.

Wes stared at his younger brother. He'd rarely ever seen Soul this upset, and even more rarely was the anger directed at himself.

"Will you be able to support Maka and the baby? I'm sure that Mom and Dad could-" Wes began.

"I make enough." Soul growled through gritted teeth. "I make more than I need with my position as a Death Scythe. I've got enough saved to live off for a year. Maka has money saved as well." Soul started controlling himself more. "I may not make as much as a concert pianist, but I will sell my own _organs_ before I take money from Mom and Dad to support Emi."

Wes shook his head slightly. "Emi?"

"My daughter."

"How do you know it's a girl if you only found out today?"

Soul told him about the visions.

Wes let out a low whistle. "Wow. If I hadn't seen half the stuff you can do, I would think you've gone off the deep end."

Soul offered his brother a small smile.

"Say..." Wes began after a moment. "This, uh, Soul Resonance... can you really _feel_ the other person's emotions?" The elder Evans child actually seemed embarrassed.

"Why do you think I have complete faith that Maka and I will actually work out? I know her and she knows me. When I say know, I mean _know_, as in 'have seen the depths of her soul'."

Wes sighed and drained the last of his coffee. "Soul, you know I'm not your enemy. I've stood by you and your decision ever since you left. I've stood up to Dad even when he jokes about you to his friends and at parties. I'm on your side, Soul."

Soul hung his head and his shoulders sagged. The Death Scythe looked like he had deflated. "I know. I'm sorry, Wes."

"We're cool, brother." Wes smiled at him encouragingly. "The real trouble now is..."

"Dad." The two said in unison.

* * *

><p>"And so, later that night, the boys and myself donned masks of the late president Abraham Lincoln. We crept up to the windows of the sorority house and attempted to peer in. However, the lights were off. We snuck into the house and prepared ourselves.[i]"<p>

"Soul, who, or what, is that in the top hat?" Wes asked as he pointed to Excalibur pacing the open space of the hospital room. He was mainly addressing Kid, Liz and Patty who had apparently shown up while Soul was gone. Only Patty seemed to be paying attention.

Soul made a face. "...Excalibur..."

Wes simply stared. "As in the sword of King Arthur?"

"Unfortunately." Soul sighed. "Follow me and be quiet."

The two men slipped into the room and over to Maka's bed. She sat clutching her e-reader in a white-knuckled death grip and a vein was bulging on her forehead.

Maka grabbed Soul's shirt as soon as he got within range. "Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. _Now._" She commanded.

"Fool!" Excalibur pointed his cane at Maka. "It is time for Excalibur's Five Hour Story Telling Party! You must sit and listen as I tell my-" The ancient weapon took a few steps back as Maka raised her foot threateningly. "Um... right. Another time then."

"Aww. But I wanted to hear what happened next!" Patty whined.

Excalibur walked up and took her hand. "Then let us continue the story elsewhere, away from..." He glanced at Maka and the others who were starting to make vaguely threatening gestures. "...these _nice_ people."

As the two weapons left the room, a collective sigh of relief was exhaled.

"I thought he would _never_ leave." Liz groaned.

"Who let him in again?" Spirit asked as he tentatively removed his hands from his ears.

"I told security not to let him back in." Kami noted sourly.

"Somewhere, a whole lot of fairies are probably partying..." Ox said absently as he stared at the ceiling.

"Has anyone gotten a real answer from him as to why he's in Japan, and not, say, in his cave?" Kid asked, rubbing his temples.

"Something about needing to out into the world to stretch his legs or... whatever." Liz replied.

"Maka? Can you let go of me?" Soul asked his meister pleadingly.

The girl released her weapon's shirt. "Sorry. Got a little distracted thinking about booting him off something very tall..."

"Good luck. He's scared of you for now. I've got a feeling that he'll get over that." Soul smiled.

"So, this is your brother right?" Maka asked, holding her hand out to Wes.

"That's me." Wes grinned and shook her hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Maka." [6]

"Same. I've heard a lot about you." Maka said with a smile.

"All good things, I hope." We said with a smile at his younger brother.

"Come on, you think I'd badmouth you when you weren't around to defend yourself?" Soul asked indignantly. "That's not cool at all."

Wes chuckled and turned back to Maka. "Congratulations, by the way. I never thought that Soul would have all this happening to him before me. I look forward to meeting Emi; she sounds like a niece I'd be proud to have."

It might have been Maka's sensitive nature, the morphine messing with her emotions, the beginnings of hormonal changes or just the sincerity of Wes' words, but tears began to pool in Maka's green eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.

Soul placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. About the closest thing to a hug that Wes had ever received from him.

As can be relied upon, the tender moment was ruined by someone unaware of the touching moment happening next to them. In this case, it was Black Star removing his headphones from the portable DVD player he had been watching a movie on. "Damn this movie sucked!" He groaned. The music playing over the ending credits filled the room.

The brothers Evans stood stock still for a moment.

"Nice, Black Star. Way to ruin the mood." Chided Liz.

"What?" The ninja asked surprised, looking around. "Oh hey, Soul, Other Guy. When did you get back? Guys? Uhm, hello?"

"What movie is that?" Soul asked, not turning around, already knowing the answer.

Black Star looked at the case. "_Climson__ Taidu_." He answered, mocking Japanese pronunciation of the title. "Boring movie. All they did was talk and shout."

As one, the brothers spun and spoke to the ninja. "Do _not_ mock _Crimson__ Tide_. That's one of Hans Zimmer's best movie scores ever."

Black Star stared, confused. "...Who?"

"Hans Zimmer, dude." Soul answered in an flat tone, unbelieving that he was explaining this.

"He wrote the musical scores for _Crimson __Tide_, _Pirates__ of__ the __Caribbean_, _Inception_, _The__ Pacific_. Hell, he even did _Muppet__ Treasure__ Island_ and _The __Lion __King_. He's made the best music for the best movies and you don't even know that?"[7] Wes looked like he was explaining what the wheel was to a caveman.

Black Star was nonplussed. "Huh. Music was good I guess."

"Just... just never mind..." Soul said as he turned back to Maka. "Why is he my friend again?"

Maka shrugged. "He has your back anytime?"

"But, he doesn't know who-" Maka shut her weapon up with a kiss. The ninja groaned, still far from comfortable seeing his two friends showing affection publicly.

"Well, I have good news for every- Should I come back?" Daita stood in the doorway.

Maka pulled back from the kiss and her mollified boyfriend. "Nope. We're good."

"Ah, right. Well, all of you are cleared to leave the hospital and travel back to Death City." A few cheers and sighs of relief were heard. "Well, don't be so happy to leave the country." Nishimura said with the feigned hurt. "I'll have your discharge papers ready in an hour."

* * *

><p>Checking out of the hospital was quick and relatively painless, taking only two hours. Half of that time was spent trying to get Black Star to stop speaking to the hospital staff in terrible, broken Japanese and upsetting them.<p>

Wes accompanied the group back to the school consulate and helped Soul and Maka pack. It was truly surprising how much the two brothers had to catch up on and how many questions Wes had for the two DWMA students. They talked at length about Soul Resonance and the missions that the two had gone on. Wes was astounded to hear that Maka was the one to actually defeat the Kishin when he revived. Little news of the actual events had been made public, lest it cause some kind of global panic for the world to know how close it came to falling into madness.

"Sorry I can't see you guys off at the airport." Wes said as he shook his brother's hand after hugging Maka goodbye.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be coming home soon enough to drop a bombshell on Mom and Dad" Soul said with a rather wicked grin.

"I'll make sure to have a camera ready..." Wes said with a sigh, picturing what their patents' reaction would be. "Try not to make Dad have a coronary, alright?"

"No promises." The wicked grin remained.

"It was good meeting you." Kami said to Wes as she gave him a warm hug. He'd be family soon, after all.

"Yeah. It's good to know not every Evans is a pain like my understudy here." Spirit said, shaking the man's hand.

"Watch it, old man. Who's the stronger weapon again?" Soul snarled.

Spirit's shoulders sagged. "See what I mean? He wasn't only made a better Death Scythe than me by my daughter, but now he's _marrying_ my daughter." Kami put an arm around the whining weapon's shoulders.

"Well, she's a good woman for him. I was wondering if he'd ever find a woman to put up with his coolness obsession." We chuckled.

"I'm right here you know."

Wes laughed softly. "See you soon, bro."

"Yeah. Keep 9-1-1 on speed dial."

"Will do."

As the group rode in the school vehicles to the airport Soul stared out the window at the bright night time seen of the city.

"Hey, Soul." Black Star called, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"That dude, he was your brother?"

Soul executed a perfect facepalm that left his forehead rosy pink for an hour.

* * *

><p><strong>[i]"We laid out the steaks and sausages that we had acquired from the dumpster behind the butcher shop... or was it the mattress wholesaler? Perhaps it was the pharmacy or the skating rink. Either way! We laid the meat about the lower floor and threw some on the stairs.<strong>

**"Windows and doors were opened and the boys went outside. I braced myself and blew the dog whistle. Instantly, a thousand dogs were upon the house and began eating their fill of the meat. In the chaos, we used the step ladder to enter the girls' rooms and steal their left shoes.**

**"We kept the shoes and used them to adorn the fraternity moose head for four years. Or was it five?"**

**[1] I made the decision last chapter that Kid can speak most languages rather fluently. He's got a lot of talents and traits associated with Reapers. I figure a being that has to deal with most people sooner or later needs to have a "gift of tongues" of sorts. He may not know the languages innately, but He can probably pick up on them far faster than a normal person.**

**Tsubaki is Japanese. That much is freaking obvious. In a series where nearly all the characters are Americans and have Amaerican-ish names, she has a Japanese name and her childhood took place in Japan. Either that, or she is a second generation American who was dressed in traditional Japanese clothes and lived in a Japanese style home... in the U.S. I'm going with Japanese on this one.**

**Also, if you snickered at "gift of tongues", you're a dirty, dirty person and probably NikolaiEvans115.**

**[2] Daita Nishimura... had to do some research on the name. The last name was something that popped into my head, and apparently it means "Western village", common in Northeastern Japan and Okinawa. Check. "Dai" means great and "-ta" also means great, but possibly in the sturdy or strong person respect. I thought it would be interesting to use the name and additive for an interesting effect. **

**"Great great Western village". I'm an ass.**

**[3] Eddie Izzard.**

**[4] Well, Never thought I'd say that Maka67 would make a suggestion that would prove useful, but there it is folks! The person that I had thought the group would wind up saving last chapter was supposed to be Wes. However, the battle took a different course and the idea wound up on the cutting room floor.**

**However, the idea of using Wes was a good one. I knew that I would have to deal with Soul's enigmatic family eventually, so I would work with the guy I knew actually existed first. Keep in mind, I have not read the manga much, so I have NO idea how Wes usually acts, but I have an idea. As such, he may be a bit out of character. I make no apologies for this.**

**[5] This turned into an exercise in record keeping. It's kind of creepy how well this worked out time-wise. It's been 13 days since the lemony goodness of YGS, in story anyways. 12 days is the earliest a over the counter pregnancy test will work.**

**A bit of time has passed since Soul and Maka's date, which was a week ago when Soul says this. He proposed 6 days after the events of YGS.**

**[6] As I've said before, I'm _far_ from being caught up on the manga, so as far as I'm concerned, Wes and Maka have never met and only know of each other from Soul. I based this off of the Funimation dub of the anime, and that's what I'm sticking to. I look at the manga and the Wiki site for more information on characters and the like.**

**[7] More author insertion here. Sorry. Hans Zimmer is one of the greatest movie composers of all time, and I _really_ needed to find a way to end this freaking scene. It was becoming a bitch to write in ways I can't explain. To see Zimmer's awesomeness, go to YouTube and search "Roll Tide Crimson Tide", assuming that you don't already know that Zimmer was responsible for "He's a Pirate". Protip: plug in headphones or listen to it on a good sound system at a high volume and let the epic wash over you.**

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><p><strong>AN: Chapter 10 is finally up. Collective personal issues and school work kept this chapter short and far later in update than any chapter in quite some time. Sorry about that.**

**Another bout of filler and a glimpse of future plot-ness made up this chapter. Not much of actual substance, but sometimes I need a chapter like this to lay groundwork for future chapters and to give myself some bearing on what happens next. As I've said before, I only know a little more than you guys do as far as where the story is going.**

**99 reviews and counting. Who gets to be my first 100th reviewer? Let the race begin.**

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><p><strong>AB: Ok, _everything_ after Wes entered the story was painful to write. It was seriously like crawling over a bed of nails that were coated in salt while it drizzled lemon juice. It was so damned hard to slog through all of that dialogue. Maybe because I have a feeling that I'm pulling away from the characters and how they talk or something. Dunno.**

**Also, writing this is becoming harder and harder for me. I just can't stand to write something like this for Soul and Maka. I know I said this last chapter, but my personal issues made it all the more obvious that I'm totally alone and I'm spending my time writing a romance for two people that are honestly as real to me as half of the people that I talk to on the internet. It's just so frustrating to see them get that person to come home to, that person that will hold them and tell them that it will be alright, that person to love them unconditionally. Some of these scenes are more like acid baths than creative release. *sigh* I need a girlfriend. And _how_.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 9:<strong>

**bluenian98: Yes. Yes he did. And it was _awesome_. That was catharsis on a fucking _bun_ for me. Besides, that's not really all that far out of character for Kid, now is it?**

**Emcronia: Glad the fight scene was up to your expectations. I was honestly worried because it seemed to small and stubby to me once I finished writing it out.  
>I decided to have fun with Excalibur, so him barging into their rooms and whacking Soul was a good idea, methinks.<strong>

**raelynn gross: I'm but a mere vessel for these ideas sometimes. I just sit back, close my eyes and let the events play out before me. That's why things change so much from my initial idea to what winds up on the final product.**

**Kaizer712: Like I said in my A/B, it may be unhealthy, but Soul and Maka are now about as real to me as the people I speak to only online. I might want to consider mental help for that. Either way, because I spend so much time placing myself in their shoes and trying to think as they do, they feel like they're real. I don't know if this makes sense or if I sound like a raving lunatic at this point, but I can't think of any other way to put it.**

**But because they seems o real to me, it's less like a benevolent god and more like a jealous friend kind of relationship. I find myself envying them and knowing that what I write is _not_ real and knowing that what _is_ real is a cold and lonely world. It's hard to describe, really. It's just getting harder and harder, emotionally, to write this thing. **

**Maka67: Just now. He'll appear again. Worry not.**

**Torrasque666: Thank you much for the high praise. That means a lot to me.**

**I tend to disagree on the fight scene. I used almost no dialogue because a real fight doesn't have the DBZ-esque punch then talk for a year, then maybe a kick then another year of talking. I wanted it to feel like a serious fight for survival with no real room for witty verbal sparring. Besides, the Kishisake-onna is a terrible conversationalist.**

**NikolaiEvans115: Well, I care what readers think. I'm not writing this for me anymore, it's entirely for you guys. So what you think of a chapter, scene, idea or whatever has a lot of weight to it. I'm not going to pander to what everyone wants, but I want to strike an equilibrium between what people want and what I'm planning on doing.**

**cheeriolord: Well, as in the anime, Excalibur will pop up from time to time. Not every chapter, but sometimes it's fun to stick a random anecdote of pointlessness into the story. Just wait 'til he stops being afraid of a Maka Kick.**

**The closest thing that we have in the States would be "well played", which changes meaning by context. I'm not so disconnected from my cousins across the Atlantic that I don't know any slang, but some of them take a little brain power to work out. Brain power that I was lacking at the time. However, _fuck_ Cockney rhyming jokes. _Those_ are totally nonsensical to us Tanks.**

**s0uleaterevans: As with Nikolai and everyone else who reads my stuff and reviews, I want to read what they have as well. The only problem is that school is whooping my ass so hard that I don't have time to sit down that often and read a ton of fics. The best I can do is promise to look at them eventually, which seems like a cop-out on my part.**

**Trust me, I had to wrestle with the urge to have a few characters die. Emi was one of them. So was Soul. I decided that I couldn't do that to the characters of the readers, so the scissors missed.**

**Also, eat my soul and see how many more chapters that gets you. Not that you'd have time to read them, what with being on the run for eating a human soul and straying onto the path of the Kishin.**


	11. Ain't No Rest for the JetLagged

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.**

**Editorial Status: Rough, completely unchecked.**

**A/N: The hits for this story are officially… over 9,000. Gragh. *smashes computer***

**Aslo, happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. To the Canadians, your Thanksgiving is not the REAL Thanksgiving, if and only if because ours is followed by the largest commercial day of the year. For the Europeans, Asians, Africans and all around not Americans, I'm sorry that you miss out on a day that clogs the arteries more effectively than epoxy, enjoy living longer than us.  
><strong>

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 11: Ain't No Rest for the Jet-Lagged**

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><p>Soul opened a single bloodshot eye as he felt the wheels of the DWMA private jet touch down on the runway for the third time in the last eighteen hours. Bad weather and congested airports along the route had added an additional six hours onto their insanely long flight. They'd left Tokyo at 10:00 at night local time, and were now landing in Death City at 3:00 in the morning the next day. The total travel time had been eighteen hours, but when factoring in the International Date Line and time zones, only four hours had elapsed. Time travel indeed.<p>

The flight had been anything but fun for Soul, who had his mind full of everything that had happened on their relatively short stay in a foreign country as well as what awaited him back in the States. Soul had expected that he would get little sleep, what with dealing with Maka's injury and the near loss of their unborn daughter. Of course, he'd largely made peace with that while he was in Japan, after all, both mother and daughter were safe. The more daunting task was trying to decide how to deal with his parents when he got home. He'd promised both Maka and Wes that he would tell his parents about his engagement to Maka as well as his impending entrance to the sacred Brotherhood of Fathers. Soul had spent much of his time between fitful sleep trying to figure out the easiest way to tell his parents. After all, he had a promise to keep and cool guys don't break their promises.

What he hadn't counted on were two separate instances of his friends utilizing the restrooms to have their own fun at forty thousand feet above sea level. First to engage in mid-air coitus were Black Star and Tsubaki. Soul had heard some muted whispering and then the sounds of movement. He cracked an eye to see Black Star leading his partner into the restroom, Tsubaki blushing so hard that her face resembled the lights of a navigational buoy. The Death Scythe had cranked the volume on his MP3 player as high as it would go, lest he actually_ hear_ two of his friends fucking. He doubted he'd have been able to ever look them in the face again if he heard that.

On the second stint of the flight, Kid had been dragged to the opposite lavatory by a somewhat… flustered looking Liz. Once more, the volume was maxed as much as possible with a healthy dose of extra cranking just to see if he could squeeze an extra few decibels of sound into his headphones. Just before he closed his eyes and tried to sit out this nightmare as well, Soul caught Patty looking at him. She wore a smile of absolute glee. She knew _another_ dirty little secret that she couldn't wait for the best time to let out of the bag. Soul had groaned, but then smiled as he realized that he wasn't the only one that Patty would mortify the hell out of some day when she squealed her secret to the world.

Thankfully for the young weapon, his two former mentees didn't catch the lust virus that flew around the cabin on the insanely long flight. At least not the he knew of. Knowing that Syed and Elena were dating or merely just knocking boots might be too much for Soul's already taxed mind to handle. He'd likely have been tempted to lecture the two second year students on their relationship, what with being fifteen and engaging in that kind of behavior. But, he was hardly in any position to give someone a lecture on what they should and shouldn't do with their partner behind closed doors now was he?

Soul smiled at that particular thought as he looked down at Maka sleeping on his shoulder.

"Wake up, Bookworm." Soul whispered as he kissed Maka's forehead. He cleared his throat after hearing how hoarse his voice was.

The meister's eyes opened sleepily. "We home yet?" She asked without moving.

"Yep. Three in the morning to boot." Soul smiled and kissed her on the lips, ignoring the morning breath.

Maka's answer was a tired groan as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked out the window as the largely inactive Death City International Airport.

Slowly the occupants of the student section of the plane woke up, stretched, cracked various joints and stretched in a vain attempt to ward off the physical rigors of air travel.

"What day is it?" Black Star asked the cabin in general.

"Monday." Kid answered simply as he stretched his arms above his head. "Three-fifteen in the morning."

"So, what, we spent four hours in the air?" The ninja asked, not fully awake still.

"As far as time zones are concerned." Kid replied without any trace of humor.

"Wakey-wakey everyone." The intercom blared. "This is your incredibly tired captain speaking. We've landed in Death City, its 0316 hours. That 'oh' means 'oh dear God it's early'. [1] We'll be arriving at the terminal in a few minutes because no one else is dumb enough to be flying into the city at this hour. After that, everyone gets to sleep. Enjoy your jetlag. It's been a pleasure crossing the Pacific with you."

Syed didn't open his eyes. "Who hired him?" His tone was neutral.

"Father did." Kid replied, unbuckling himself from his seat and retrieving his suit jacket from an overhead compartment. "He liked the man's candid demeanor. It's a bit refreshing from the script a captain is required to follow on the major airlines."

"True enough." Syed conceded and proceeded to remain seated, unmoving.

Like a small band of frequent-flying zombies, the students collected their luggage from the various baggage compartments and made their way to the staircase at the front of the plane. An exhausted stewardess [2] smiled tiredly and asked them to watch their step as they went down the stairs.

Thankfully, some vehicles from the school were waiting for them to ferry the students and instructors back to the DWMA. They would meet at the school the next day to go over the mission with Lord Death and the Reaper would also decide who would receive the pre-Kishin soul that Maka had liberated from its mortal casing during the battle.

The ride to the DWMA was short and passes with relative silence as most present slipped back to sleep. Sleepy good-byes were mumbled as the students and instructors went on their disparate ways home.

Soul guided his motorcycle down the dark streets of Death City in silence. Maka sleepily clung to his back. Soul took care to go around corners slowly so she wouldn't fly off if she had fallen asleep and loosened her grip. The weapon kept awake by promising himself that his bed would be far more comfortable than a stay in the emergency room and a hospital bed. Soul did take some solace in the knowledge that he knew the city's streets like the back of his hand, having taken many late night trips out on his bike when he and Maka had gotten into fights in times past. Taking a night ride always helped him clear his head and come home calmer to deal with his problems with his meister.

Finally, Soul spotted their street and made the turn gently, Maka still holding on. He guided the mechanical monstrosity into his parking spot and dismounted it. Soul led the exhausted girl with him up the stairs and to their front door. Thankfully Blair had gotten their message and left the door unlocked.

Shoes, luggage and articles of clothing formed a trail to Soul's bedroom. Maka's tired eyes locked onto the bed and her nude form dove into it like a small animal seeking shelter from a circling hawk. Soul smiled and joined his fiancé in the bed, leaving her plenty of room in the event she wanted more of the bed than usual. He was somewhat surprised to feel her roll over and cling to his body, acting as the "big spoon". Well, this was new. Oh well. Not like it was unpleasant.

The Death Scythe made himself comfortable in the bed. It was nice to be in _his_ bed for a change. It had been some time since he hadn't slept in Maka's bed, a plane, a couch in a hospital or the bed back at the school consulate in Tokyo. Being back in his home, in his own bed and the contented feelings coming over his soul resonance link with Maka were an overwhelming call to sleep and Soul was eager to answer that call. He was asleep within seconds of climbing into bed.

* * *

><p>Late afternoon light filtered through the half-drawn curtains of Soul's bedroom. The sun was making its final real contributions to the northern hemisphere before the Earth finished its tilt along its axis, pulling the northern half of the planet from the sun's warm embrace. If Death City were in the right climate, leaves would be changing to gold, orange and brown as the trees prepared for the cold and snow of winter.<p>

As it stood, the days merely got colder and shorter in Death City as fall stepped in and summer went home for the year.

The warmth of the sun fell squarely on Maka's face as the burning orb inched past the edge of the window. The meister tried to hide her eyes behind her weapon's neck and shoulders but couldn't hide from the light completely. Eventually she gave up trying to hide from the light and opened her eyes slowly. Maka surveyed the room and realized that she was in Soul's bed. The realization wasn't as startling as she'd thought it would be, at least not as recently as a few weeks ago, but she did realize that she had never slept in Soul's room before.

Her realization brought a smile and a soft giggle to her lips. Maka simply drank in the novelty of her situation. She was engaged to her weapon and carrying his child, waking up for the first time in his room. With how fast the last two weeks had been passing for her, Maka had hardly had the chance to notice the small things that had changed in her life and how quickly she had come to take them for granted. She slept in the same bed as her weapon, naked, when she was able. She didn't necessarily hate all men on sight. She was finally given room to breathe by her father who was again together with her mother. Of course, the biggest change in her life was that she was going to be a mother. She almost had to remind herself of that fact some times.

A feeling of contentment slowly filled her being. Her life was good right now and that was all that seemed to matter. As long as she was with Soul, the one person that she trusted with every fiber of her being, and the one person who loved her as completely as a human being can, she was happy. Without really thinking about it, Maka pressed her lips to the back of her sleeping weapon's neck.

Soul's body shuddered slightly in response to her delicate touch. Maka's smile took on a slightly more devious shape to it as an idea came to her. She glanced at the clock on Soul's cluttered nightstand to make sure that they weren't late for their meeting with Lord Death.

Maka's devious smile grew as she untangled herself from Soul's sleeping form, allowing him to roll onto his back. The meister slide down under the covers until she found what she was looking for. Unfortunately for her plan, Soul didn't have morning wood. However, that wasn't much of a setback.

Maka licked her lips as she held Soul's limp member in her hand. She licked the tip tentatively, as if she'd forgotten what to do. But, as with riding a bicycle, it came back to her rather quickly. In a few moments of licking and caressing, she had Soul standing to full attention. Phase one of her plan was now complete.

The mesiter crawled up Soul's sleeping body until she felt his hardness rub against her. She suppressed a shudder of anticipation and used a hand to guide her weapon's cock inside of her as she backed up. Maka sighed contentedly as she felt all of Soul's length enter her. She sat up, fully straddling the Death Scythe and began to grind her hips forward and backwards atop of his.

A small moan escaped her lips as Maka moved herself back and forth, the motion was one they hadn't tried before and she was surprised at how different it felt from "normal". Rather than moving in and out of her, Maka was forcing Soul's dick to sway inside of her, bringing it into contact with more and more of her inner depths than she was used to.

No matter how soundly a man is sleeping, it won't take long for him to start to realize that something fun is going on and that he's missing out when his fiancé is riding him like a cowgirl.

Maka pitched forward with a gasp, embracing her weapon, as his thumb grazed along her clit. The girl moaned aloud when Soul kissed her neck and began to thrust in opposition to her.

"You know," Soul whispered in her ear. "You're going to run out of cool ways to wake me up if you keep doing things like this."

Maka whimpered again wordlessly when Soul began to place kissed up and down her neck.

It had been several days since the two lovers had last made love and neither lasted long. The two reached their orgasms simultaneously and Maka collapsed onto Soul's chest, both of them breathing heavily.

Soul kissed his lover gently after regaining his breath. "If you keep waking me up like this, you might just drain me dry." He smiled at her.

Maka returned the grin. "I just thought you'd like it."

"I did. Don't get me wrong. It's a hella cool way to wake a guy up."

Maka feigned a pout. "How come you never wake me up like this, then?"

"Hm. Let's see, we were on a plane last time you slept and I wasn't going to use those bathrooms." He stopped when his meister looked at him curiously. "I'll tell you later. Anyways, you were in the hospital before that. Before _that_ Excalibur woke us up. And before that we were on the plane and _you_ woke me up for that one. Before that we were here. Really, unless I find out how to get up before you without waking you up, I don't know how I'll give you a 'happy morning'."

The pout melted to a superior grin. "Then you'll just have to stop sleeping so much."

Soul pecked Maka's lips. "Or you just need to learn to sleep in. Bookworm."

The meister rolled her eyes. "Like that will ever happen. You know what they say, the early bird and all that..."

Soul was about to make a joke about the early bird's reward was a worm, but then the penny dropped and he caught Maka's secondary entendre. [3] "Oh, that's good. I _will_ remember that one."

"Good. Now we're going to take a shower." Maka changed her tone to that of a mother to a child.

"'We'?" Soul asked.

"Yes. You stink."

"You're no spring picnic either."

"Of course. We spent eighteen hours on a roasting hot plane."

"Come on, Maka! I'm still tired."

"Oh no. Get up Soul-"

Maka was cut off by Blair opening the door. "What are you two fighting… about… now?" The woman trailed off as she saw her two housemates naked, one still inside of the other, fighting on the bed.

Likewise, Soul and Maka stopped in the middle of their half-hearted fight and stared at Blair. Blair was in turn staring at them. Not a word was said for a moment. A small blush began to creep onto Blair's cheeks as she stared at the weapon and mesiter.

"Get _out_! Maka cried after some unspoken time limit was passed. The girl began to thrash and throw whatever was in reach at the cat-in-the-shape-of-a-human. Blair closed the door with a surprised "Nyah!".

"So… shower?" Soul asked once Maka had calmed down.

"Shower."

* * *

><p>Soul and Maka walked up the front steps to the DWMA an hour later. Well, Soul walked easily, his hands behind his head. Maka stalked, still angered by Blair.<p>

"Damned perverted cat…" The meister grumbled under her breath.

"Isn't that my line after I get Maka Chopped for her being perverted around me and _I_ get hit?" Soul asked, giving Maka a sideways glance.

Maka glared back. "Don't tempt me."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You guys are early." Liz commented from her seat on the steps of the main entrance of the school as the duo entered the school.

"We had to leave of Maka would have tried to kill Blair again." Soul answered easily.

"Oh? What'd she do?"

Soul's face turned red. Maka continued to glower at the ground.

"Oh. _Coitus interruptus_.[4] Ouch." Liz was uncharacteristically neutral. Normally such a comment would have been accompanied by a laugh or a joke. There was sympathy there.

"Not exactly." Soul managed. "But, uh, Blair came into my room… yeah…" Soul looked over at Maka while he spoke, wondering if she was going to Maka Chop him or Maka Kick him if he continued.

"Either way, not fun." Liz said with a sympathetic smile.

"Patty?" Soul inquired.

"Patty." Liz answered matter of factly.

"She still alive?" Maka asked, still fuming.

"Yeah…" Liz trailed off and a blush came to her face.

"So what happened?" Soul asked

"Well… uh… we were… and Patty came in… and… uh…" Liz began. "Oh look! A distraction!" She pointed to Black Star and Tsubaki as they came through the front doors. Liz hopped down from the steps and ran to Tsubaki, hugging her. "You have_ no_ idea how good it is to see you!"

"Why? What's up?" Black Star asked, confused. "What'd I miss?"

All eyes fell to Liz, who jumped as if prodded. "Oh nothing. It's _nothing_." She smiled nervously and waved her hands as if to ward off the question.

"Well, I'm surprised. Everyone is here early." Kid observed as he walked down a staircase towards the group, Patty walking distractedly behind him. "Looks like we can start our meeting early then."

"Oh thank God." Liz breathed, thankful for Kid's arrival.

* * *

><p>"Oh my! It's good to see everybody again! And you're all here early!" Lord Death greeted everyone as they entered the Death Room. "Well, it looks like we can get right down to business!"<p>

Ox, Havar, Syed, Elena, Katya, Spirit, Kami, Sid and Nygus were already present, apparently having been talking amongst themselves and waiting for the others to arrive. It seemed that everyone had wanted to get this meeting done and over with early.

Katya stood talking to Syed and Elena off to one side. She had come back to Death City with the remains of her partner and teammate, unwilling to leave her meister's side even after his death. She had been under the care of Nurse Medusa ever since. The fact that the girl wasn't a nervous wreck was a testament to the fact that Medusa had turned over a new leaf of sorts and actually helped Katya rather than nursing the seeds of madness that had no doubt been planted when her teammates had been killed in front of her.

Soul walked over to his former mentee and gave her a brief hug and gave his condolences. Maka tearfully embraced the girl, her anger at Blair forgotten in the face of taking care of the wounds left by losing friends and partners.

Katya had always been resilient for as long as Soul and Maka had known her. She took everything in stride. What had appeared as a sad devotion to a partner that couldn't separate herself from him was actually her honoring a pact that she had made with Aleksander some time before. If either of them were to die in battle, the other would accompany their body home as one last duty to their partner. Katya had made her peace with Aleksander's death, and those of her teammates, on the long ride home in the belly of a cargo plane.

The real problem for the now meister-less weapon would be to find a new mesiter. While deaths of students were rare, they were never far from the minds of the students at the DWMA. Partnerships broke up occasionally and it was always difficult for those students to find a new partner. But for a weapon, whose duty was to protect the meister, to come back from a mission alive without their meister, it would be exceptionally difficult for them to find a new meister.

"Well everyone, I would like to say that I'm glad you all returned home safely. Some of you had a harder time than others, but you came back. You also completed your mission in spite of monumental odds. For your sacrifices and services, you have my thanks and the gratitude of the DWMA." Lord Death spoke almost like a normal person, lowering his usually care-free personal to show his deepest thanks to all of the students and instructors who fought the Kichisake-onna.

A long silence filled the room. Sid finally coughed once to get things in motion again.

"Sorry. I'm not big on speeches! But, you are back and that's what matters! Now, this leaves just one more thing to deal with." Lord Death pulled the spirit of the Kichisake-onna from thin air. "Who gets the right to consume the spirit of the pre-Kishin."

Lord Death let the question hang for a moment, making sure that he had everyone's attention.

" Soul is a Death Scythe and falls to the bottom of the list of people who need it. Tsubaki is well on her way to becoming a Death scythe. The spirit cannot be split into two, so that rules out Liz and Patty. Havar is only a few Souls away from being able to eat the soul of a witch. So it's down to Elena and Katya." Lord Death looked between the two weapons expectantly.

Elena exchanged a meaningful glance with her friend and spoke up. "Lord Death, I think that it should go to Katya. She lost more than any of us to this pre-Kishin."

"Hmm… Alright. Katya, do you have anything to say?"

Katya maintained a straight face, no trace of tears forming in the least. "No sir. If you think that the spirit of that woman should go to me, then I'll take it. Otherwise give it to Elena. She was actually able to help take her down."

"Katya," Lord Death's tone was quiet and soft. "You lost your partner and two very good frieds of yours. This is not out of pity or sympathy. This is about justice. It's rare that a mortal can have real justice." The reaper held the red, scaly spirit out for Katya to take.

"Thank you, Lord Death." Katya said, understanding in her eyes. The weapon reached out and took the soul of the Kichisake-onna and consumed it whole, just like Soul had so many times.

A tense silence filled the room, as if all present were expecting something to happen.

Katya swallowed and smacked her lips a few times. The girl looked off into space as if she was contemplating what she had just eaten.

"Not bad."

The weapons in the room laughed while all of the meisters looked confused. All weapons had their jokes about how a soul tasted or what its texture was and no meister would ever be on the "in" side of those jokes.

* * *

><p>As Soul walked down the front steps of the DWMA with Maka, his hand casually bumped into his phone as he forced his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt.<p>

"Oh yeah. Never turned this back on." Soul mumbled as he took the device out and powered it on and shoved it back into his pocket. No one he normally talked to had needed to contact him, having been near him for the last few days.

After a moment, the phone beeped.

Then it beeped again.

And again.

Puzzled, Soul retrieved the device and unlocked it. The weapon stopped dead in his tracks.

Maka continued on for a few paces before realizing that she was now alone.

"Soul?" She called as she turned around.

Her weapon's face was white, drained completely of color.

"What's wrong?"

With a shaking hand, Soul held out his phone for Maka to see. The girl studied the phone for a minute before she realized what had Soul so terrified.

Soul had forty seven new voicemails and one hundred eight new text messages.

All from his mother.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] A nod to Robin Williams in "Good Morning Vietnam".<strong>

**[2] I don't like the political correctness of the airlines or any political correctness at all for that matter. Everyone knows who I meant and the term steward can be applied to males of the profession. Flight Attendant seems so damned cold and disconnected where a steward or stewardess implies that their job is hospitality, which it is. If you don't like my non-PC attitude, get the fuck out of my story. Thank you! Have a nice day.**

**[3] "the penny dropped" is the same as "carrying the one". It's someone taking a second to think about something and then realizing what's going on.**

**If your penny hasn't dropped yet: Soul called Maka "Bookworm", she replied by referencing the "early bird catches the worm" while they're talking about Soul waking up and sexing Maka as a wakeup. **

**If I need to spell it out more, I fear for you. Life will not be kind.**

**[4] Coitus Interruptus, normally refers to the "pull-out method", but can also just mean interrupting sex.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, there we go. Chapter 11 is finally written and done. I hope it was to your liking as you have waited for so Goddamned long to read it.**

**The idea of the ton of missed calls hit me several weeks ago, not long after I finished chapter 10. I thought it would be fitting that none of Soul's plans would be allowed to be put into action. As for how Soul's family found out, I leave that to you nice people to wonder about until I get chapter 12 written.**

**Not a whole lot in terms of substance for this chapter. Mostly filler and some smut with pointless humor thrown in for shits and giggles on my part. I apologize for nothing.**

**As for the stammering and subject avoidance about Patty interrupting Kid and Liz's sexy time… well, I leave that speculation up to you. I won't be bursting any bubbles.**

**On the subject of my long interlude, I am terribly sorry. This has literally been the longest I've gone without updating since I started this series and I'm dreadfully sorry. However, the semester is reaching its crescendo and I just don't have time to write like I used to. I'm planning on MAYBE one more chapter before I knuckle down and write my Christmas special, but don't hold me to that.**

* * *

><p><strong>AB: Surprisingly few aside from the fact that I wish that I had material to make this chapter longer. However, as with all filler chapters, this is mere connective tissue stringing together plot. If I launched into Soul's family and all that, the chapter would have been about seven times longer.**

* * *

><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 10:<strong>

**raelynn gross: Hans Zimmer is the best. I cannot tell you how many times that I've listened to "Roll Tide" from _Crimson __Tide_. I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Maka67: You had some good ideas and I used them. I'm thankful for input. However, I've got my own plans in the works regarding how things go. And Grandma Evans, as she existed in the manga, does not exist in my story.**

**cheeriolord: First of all, thanks to you for your PM. I never got around to replying, but you hit the nail so perfectly on the head that I thought that you were in _my_ head.**

**Secondly, I've always thought of Excalibur as the pop-up of the series. There to break the flow and then disappear once you click the x on his window.**

**Eieriann: Sorry for the slow updates. Working out the real dynamics of Soul's family is going to be difficult, but I don't get paid the nonexistent big bucks to do the easy problems, right? Also, the internet hasn't exploded. Yet. I'm working on that.**

**Emcronia: Sorry about those typos. Your review got me working to fix all of the ones that I could find. I'll pay much better attention to that the next time I use Wes' name a lot. As for the Maka Kick… well, the great Excalibur won't be too scared of the kick of a mere mortal for long. Then he gets to relearn the fear of a Maka Kick. *evil laugh***

**chiconmayarox: I love you too. I'm glad you like my stories and I hope that they continue to live up to your expectations.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul 14: Thank you so much for the vote of confidence. It's nice to know that some people actually see me as a person and not a machine churning out story or some unapproachable demigod. Seriously, your review helped me get my ass in gear and write this chapter.**

**bluenian98: You have _no_ idea. Well, maybe some after the last few lines of the story…**

**Techno Skittles: Yes. Yes he fucking is.**

**NIKO-LAI!: Sorry, I cannot play the _Modern__Warfare_ games without being reminded of you. It made playing MW3 an interesting experience…**

**I'm beyond thankful to you for all of your support. I hope that this chapter after the long drought of nothing is some kind of token of my thanks.**

**SxAlinaxE: Well, here's another chapter for you.**

**Juls-emo: I hurd that you were in the market for moar, so I gave you sum. Sorry, the old /b/tard in me wouldn't let me answer like a sane human being.**


	12. Deer in the Headlights

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 12: Deer in the Headlights**

* * *

><p>By some miracle, Soul managed not to have his nearly manic breakdown until Maka drove him back to their apartment. Self control and a vast quantity of sheer terror that took the entire ride home to fully process were what kept the Death Scythe's breakdown from occurring any sooner. That and some weird kind of lucid thought that hovered over the chaos reminded him that screaming in fear, hyperventilating or running around in a circle waving his arms [1] would not be the brightest thing to do on the steps of the DWMA.<p>

"I am _so_ screwed." Soul deadpanned after he slumped back onto the couch after his third round of pacing and ranting.

Maka stared at Soul with an amused look from her seat in the chair across from the couch. "That's the fourth time you said that in five minutes." She observed. It wasn't often that Soul freaked out like this, and the way he ran around ranting and whimpering held some kind of Schadenfreude [2] for her.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Soul nearly shouted. "I told you what she'll do! She's going to try and take over our lives! That's what she does. No matter what you do, it's never the 'right' thing or it wasn't done the 'right' way. Believe me, I tested that." Soul crossed his arms and slouched, trying his best to pull his neck into his body, like a turtle trying to hide from impending danger. He fixed his eyes on the floor in front of him as he recalled something.

Maka perked up. "You tested that?" She asked interestedly, trying to distract Soul from his worries. He'd be useless until he calmed down. Live with someone long enough and you learn the little things like trying to find out anything about what's bothering a hysterical Soul to help him with the problem was pointless because he'd go off ranting about something until he calmed down.

"Yeah. I got the idea when I was twelve or thirteen and Wes was learning to drive. Mom took him out to drive around the parking lot at his school and I begged to go. I freaking memorized everything she told him. When They were done, I asked to try. Mom gave up and let me try and drive around the building. I did everything _exactly_ like she told Wes and I was _always_ wrong in what I did." [3]

Maka raised an eyebrow, silently questioning Soul's memory and acknowledging that maybe Soul's mom was just a touch hard on him. "Have you read any of those texts or listened to any of those messages? Wes might have mentioned that he saw you in the hospital and that was all. Your mom might just be worried about you, thinking you got hurt."

Soul looked up at Maka blankly. "How many times did she try and call when I caught a Ragnarok to the stomach?" His tone was flat. "The school informs family when a student is hospitalized."

The meister looked at the ceiling in thought. "I think she called once, when you were just about released."

"Exactly. Which means she knows."

"Why do you make this sound like she's going to disown you or try and do something like brainwash you into thinking that the last three weeks have been a mistake?" Maka asked, slightly hurt.

"Because she's going to rain unholy nagging on us for as long as she's conscious..." Soul's face brightened. "There's an idea. Know where I can get any chloroform?"

Despite Soul's melodrama, Maka laughed. "I think she'll have a problem with you knocking her out like some back-alley thug."

Soul smiled. "It'd be worth it."

The weapon jumped halfway to the ceiling, without appearing to change his position, when his phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket with a shaking hand and pulled the device out. He cursed loudly when he read the caller ID then answered the call.

"Hi, Mom." He said in clearly forced cheer.

"Speak of the devil." Maka muttered with a smile at her weapon.

Soul absently flipped her off while waiting for a chance to break in on what seemed to be a long-winded tirade taking place on the other end of the line. Maka stuck her tongue out in response, her Cheshire Cat grin never fading.

It was a full five minutes before Soul got to speak again. "No, Mom, you don't need to come out here. We're completely fine, we can take care of ourselves and we've got Maka's parents already in Death City if we need any help regarding the pregnancy. There's also a nice thing called the internet, which has a lot of sites that are dedicated to this sort of thing. We don't need a live-in nurse. Seriously we're-" Soul stopped in the middle of speaking. The color drained from his face.

Maka had gotten up to get a glass of water while she waited for Soul to finish his call. She missed the look on Soul's face when he stopped talking abruptly and turned around, looking at the back of his head curiously as she brought the glass of to her lips. She choked on the water when Soul shouted.

"You're _where_?"

The weapon turned around on the couch when he heard Maka gagging in the kitchen behind him. She managed to swallow and give him a thumbs up that she was ok .

"_Mom_! I told you, we're _fine_!" He winced immediately after the response came.

Maka sat down on the couch next to him, looking at him in concern. What the hell had Soul so worked up?

The rest of the conversation was one-sided. Soul only occasionally saying "Yeah." or "Uh huh.", each weaker and more resigned than the last.

"Yeah. See you later." Soul let the phone drop to his side, the conversation apparently over. He turned to Maka with empty eyes and the pitiful smile of the utterly defeated on his face. "She's at the airport. She'll be here tonight at eight."

Maka stared back at him, her lips formed a confused smile. "What?" She asked.

* * *

><p>Maka huffed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes in irritation. She was leaning forward with her arms crossed and resting on the steering wheel of the rented car. They had been waiting in the pickup loop at the airport outside the baggage claim for an hour, arriving only a few minutes before Soul's mother's plane had landed. Some screw-up with the baggage had rendered the entirety of the passengers waiting at the claim for their luggage for half an hour.<p>

Soul sat in the passenger seat, which he had partially reclined and slid back as far as it would go, with his feet on the dashboard. He held his arms crossed and his head was thrown back. One foot moved in time with whatever song he was listening to while he faintly hummed the tune. After a moment he began so softly sing the chorus, bringing a smile to Maka's lips as she recognized the song.

"_I __hate __my__ job, __all __my __rich __friends. __I __hate __everyone __to __the __bitter__ end. __Nothin' __turns __out __right, __there's __no __end __in __sight. __I __hate __my __life..._" His whisper faded as the song ended. He opened his eyes and sat up, removing the ear buds. He stretched and cracked his neck.

Maka continued smiling as she watched him. There was something fascinating about watching Soul just be... well, Soul. She felt that she could watch him forever, no matter how irritated he may get with her. She sat contemplating the differences she saw in him every day. He was always open with her, filtering nothing when talking with her. When they were with friends, his guard was up, but he was able to be easy with them. He'd gown able to be like that with her parents and some of the instructors at the school since he'd become a Death Scythe. But whenever they were in public, he would put his guard up to full and become withdrawn and aloof like he always used to be. The man was an ever changing jigsaw puzzle that confused her, even when she had the key to his heart in her hands.

"What?" He asked her. Maka jumped slightly, having been so consumed with her thoughts that she'd forgotten that she was staring at him.

"Nothing. Just watching you." She smiled.

"Oh. Thought I had something on my face." He lay back in his seat, half closing his eyes that were fixed on the exit from the terminal.

Maka returned her glance to the portal as well. The volume of people leaving with luggage and loved ones was increasing. Looks like they fixed the checked baggage problem. Joy.

Soul stiffened in the seat next to her, almost imperceptibly. His eyes fixed on a woman walking out of the automatic doors who looked around, seeming lost. "That's her." He said simply.

Maka examined the woman some fifty yards away. She was taller than Maka, around five feet ten inches. She was thin, but not anorexic like a model. Her hair was snow white like Soul's and worn long to her low back, drawn from her face and held there by a single hair tie . Her eyes were dark, brown maybe. Her figure was surprising, managing to have hips that looked suitable for any purpose and a bust-line to make Maka envious. Well, envious of the look, not the back pain, but who was nit-picking? The simple white dress she wore accentuated every feature of her physique. With a small show of common sense, she wore sneakers rather than high-heels that likely would have normally been worn with the outfit.[4]

Soul reached over and gently pushed Maka's fallen jaw up. "Yeah, yeah." He sighed. Her reaction was not atypical.

Soul opened his door and stepped up onto the curb, raising an arm to catch his mother's attention. Maka followed Soul's lead and exited the car, walking over and standing next to him.

The woman saw Soul and beamed. She hurried over to them, nearly running. Without pause, she released her rolling suitcase and hugged Soul.

Soul released a grunt as the air was forced from his lungs and tentatively returned the embrace of his mother. After a moment, she released him and took a step back, studying his appearance.

"You're all grown up." She said with a proud smile.

Soul's face was almost luminously red in the gathering night. He didn't say anything but managed a slight smile as he met her studious gaze.

Satisfied that Soul was intact and healthy, her gaze turned to Maka. The brightest search light looked like a match flaring in comparison to her smile. For an unsettling second, her smile resembled Patty's I-know-a-secret smile. Maka bared her teeth in poor approximation to a smile with this disturbing thought.

"And you're Maka Albarn, correct?" Soul's mother asked brightly.

"Yes. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans." Lost for an appropriate gesture to make, Maka tried to make her smile less disturbed and more real. She was not expecting the rib-shattering hug.

"It's so _good_ to meet you." Maka fought for breath in the hug. She almost melted when she inhaled the woman's gentle, flowery perfume. The scent seemed to bring forth every memory of summer and happiness in her mind at once.

"And please, call me Jen." She said as she released Maka and studied her. "My name is Jennifer Cartwright." Maka was surprised. She'd never known the name of her fiancé's mom, nor that she had kept her maiden name. It made sense, really. She was a concert pianist who had made a name for herself before she'd married Soul's father, whose name she didn't know either. [5]

_Holycrap__ eyes! _Maka mentally hit a brick wall when she saw Jen's eyes. The woman had one of the most remarkable displays of heterochromia that Maka had ever seen. [6] One eye was brown, the other was a remarkably deep shade of green. The most surprising part though, was that _both_ heterochromic eyes held a ring of strikingly bright gold coloring around the iris. _Both __congenital_ and _central __heterochromia. __I__ didn't __know__ that __was __even__ possible._

Jen's face was lean and thin. Her cheekbones were high and subtle, making her look almost like some elven princess from a game, minus the pointed ears. She wasn't even wearing makeup and she looked like she was twenty. How young was this woman, anyways?

"It's good to see that such a pretty girl stole my boy's heart." Jen's smile was genuine, her eyes closed. "And so smart too. I've heard a lot about you." Her eyes opened and fixed Maka again with her fascinating, penetrating gaze.

Maka was lost for words. She _hadn't_ heard a lot about Jen from Soul. He'd told her what she did and what she was like, but that was it. "It's good to meet you too." Maka finally said. "I was surprised you came to see us so... _fast_."

"I've wanted to meet you for ages! But Soul has always kept us at arm's length, you know. Ever since he came out here to Nevada of all places. I haven't even seen him in two years!" She smiled and laughed good naturedly. "But nothing was going to keep me from meeting my future daughter-in-law. I wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"Please tell me Dad isn't coming." Soul groaned.

Jen spun to look at her son. "You know your father. He's upset that you didn't tell us and that we had to hear is second hand. He'll calm down eventually."

Soul cleared his throat. "Yeah, how _did_ you guys hear? I was planning on telling you today actually."

"Lord Death was the one who contacted us." Jen's face was neutral with a faint smile. She halted when the two teenagers fell over. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.

Soul sat up and looked up at his mom. "Let me guess, he wanted to tell you two about himself being Emi's godfather."

Jen tilted her head to one side. "How did you know?"

Soul fell back to the pavement with a grunt of annoyance.

* * *

><p>Soul sat on one side of the back seat of the car with his legs stretched out over the length of the seat. His arms were crossed, his gaze fixed out the window in front of him. It took him every ounce of self control that he still possessed to keep his face so neutral when all he wanted to do was scream about how he was free and jump into oncoming traffic.<p>

His right eye twitched for the umpteenth time as Maka giggled in impish delight.

His mother and Maka were getting along _so_ well.

"Oh, and once when Soul was five, at this large reception for a concert, he-" Jen began telling Maka the infamous custard cream story.

The line had been crossed.

"Ok, that's _it_!" Soul shouted as he sat up and put his head between the two women, pausing to glower at each of them. "Find some _other_ common ground that is _not_ my life's embarrassments." He sat back once more and brooded.

Maka whined like a child. "But I wanted to hear that one..."

"It's ok, Maka. I'll tell you later." Jen smiled and glanced at Soul. The smile grew more unnerving.

"Repeat that story to a single living soul, and you will never know what I had planned for you the next time I managed to wake up before you." Soul said evenly to Maka.

The car jerked slightly as Maka realized that Soul wasn't just pouting. Jen looked from meister to weapon and then back again, clearly confused.

Awkward silence filled the car. How was it that Soul felt like he was the one being tagged as the bad guy? They were enjoying comparing notes about his embarrassing mishaps and he was supposed to be hunkey-fucking-dorey with that? This was far from cool. Then again, his mom was involved, so it was never going to be cool. Soul sighed and banged his head into the window next to him gently.

Maka parked the rental car in the street near the stairs to their apartment, opened the door and stretched. Jen similarly stretched as Soul reached past Maka into the car and hit the release for the trunk. He made no contact, physical or otherwise with her. Damn. He _was_ pissed.

Soul lugged Jen's bags up the steps and through the door before either woman had mounted the steps. When they arrived inside, they found Soul's door closed and Jen's belongings outside what was normally Blair's room.

Lacking a fourth room, the weapon and meister had offered Blair a choice: stick to being a cat for the week Jen was to be there or find somewhere else to stay. When Maka had mentioned the ultimatum in passing to Tsubaki that afternoon had resulted in an invitation for Blair to stay with her and her meister. Soul laughed hysterically when he'd heard about Tsubaki's invitation. Neither of the two realized the magnitude of sexual harassment that they had just brought upon themselves.

Maka sighed. Recalling the levity somehow made the current state between her and Soul hurt more.

"I think that I'll be turning in now." Jen stated through a yawn. "I may have gained three hours on the flight, but It's around one back home."

"Goodnight... Jen. It was good to finally meet you." Maka said as she fought off a yawn of her own.

"See you tomorrow." Jen closed the door.

Alone, Maka sighed. Why was she so uneasy with how Soul had acted? She'd talked about the dumb things that he'd done a hundred times before with people. And he had done it to her too. Why was this different? _Oh.__Right.__It's__his__mom._

Then the reason for the unease struck her squarely in the face. Like a sleeper awakening during a power outage, she knew something was wrong, but not what right away. For the sleeper waking to a house without power, it's the silence that wakes them. For Maka, it was her resonance with Soul.

He'd severed himself from her at the deepest level.

Maka shuddered, hugging herself as she resisted the insane feeling of loss that had only struck her once she'd realized that it was missing. Once the wave of near-physical pain had washed over her, Maka tried her best not to break down the door to Soul's room, but rather knock on it politely.

The only reply was a grunt that might have been some kind of permission.

She slowly opened the door and peered inside. The lights were off, leaving the faint moonlight to fill the room. Soul lay on the bed jammed up against the wall as though he were trying to find shelter in the corner.

Maka walked to the bedside, but couldn't find words. Trying to think right now was like carrying on a discussion of theoretical quantum physics during a flash flood: not possible. Instead of talking, she kicked off her shoes slowly and climbed into the bed with him, moving her body close to his. The physical contact was welcome, but it was a far cry from their normal closeness. Maka placed her hands on his shoulders and curried her face in his back. His body was tense, his muscles stiffened under her touch.

"Don't shut me out." She finally managed.

"You notice how she went straight into everything I ever did wrong?" He asked, his voice hollow. "Always does that. Likes to know what my mistakes were when she wasn't around to micro-manage my life."

"Soul..."

"Didn't even get a hotel room. Just assumed we'd put her up here. I told you she'd try and take over."

Maka wasn't sure if Soul was talking from experience or paranoia. This was probably one of his darkest fears about his mom coming true. She'd come to Death City and she was going to take over her life again. It might be memories being distorted or a misunderstanding, but he really thought she wanted nothing more than to take over his life. Maka had a good idea of why Soul had fled his parents to the DWMA like a rocket trying to escape Earth's gravity all those years ago.

"Soul." Maka forced her arms around him, half-prying him from his refuge between the bed and the wall and kissed the back of his head. "You're not a kid anymore. You're an adult."

Soul's muscles loosened a little. "She doesn't see it like that. I'm still the baby she put on a private school waiting list before she took me home from the hospital. At least to her." His shoulders hunched. "I got away and she fucking followed me." His voice was still distant, as if contemplating a mushroom cloud rising from a city fifty miles away.

Maka snuggled herself closer, fighting off her concern for him by trying to seek comfort in physical proximity. "You can stand up to her. You know that. You faced down the Kishin with the fate of the world in our hands. Is she really more terrifying than madness itself?"

The tension left his body like someone had flicked off a switch as he thought about this. Had his issues with his mother been so deep-seeded that they eclipsed the Kishin's return? Good God, Jen had messed with her son's head.

"But don't shut me out, Soul. Please. I'm on your side." She kissed the back of his head again.

Slowly, like a sluice gate opening up, Maka felt Soul's presence in her soul again as he realigned his soul wavelength with hers again. She sighed happily, feeling him again. She wriggled her toes as though she had been filled enough to fit inside of her own skin again.

When had that happened? When had she grown so dependent on him that she needed him to feel at home in her own body? She'd been in too much shock and later on too many pain killers for her to have noticed the profound sense of loss when they were in Japan.

Maka closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of their souls resonating again. She noticed that he felt the same sort of relief and smiled. It had hurt him just as much as it hurt her to be separated like that. They needed each other just as much.

Soul rolled over, careful not to crush her arm beneath him, to face her. He smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry Maka. I didn't mean to shut you out. I just.. I dunno, I felt like you were on her side in the car, trading stories about all of my mistakes... I can't explain it. It makes no sense."

Maka smiled and kissed him tenderly. "It's ok. Things like that aren't rational."

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. There was so much that he wanted to say, to try and explain his knee-jerk reaction to his mother. To try and make her see that he didn't do it intentionally. That he wasn't accustomed to an ally against his mom trying to take over his life. That he hadn't realized how trivial and petty this was compared to all of the horrors that they had fought together. But she knew.

"God I'm fucked up." He said with a rueful smile. "My own mom is scarier to me than the Kishin or Professor Stein when he snaps." He laughed humorlously.

Maka cocked her head as much as the bed allowed. "Not Nurse Medusa?"

"No." Soul laughed for real. "She's still terrifying." She'd slit your throat with a smile if she wanted to and if Stein would let her get away with that.

Maka giggled softly. "Now that's a messed-up pair. Both as insane as the other, but they stop each other from doing anything that would ruin their relationship. _That's_ what's scary; the only reason that they don't go crazy and kill everyone is Stein's shaky morality and the fact that they wouldn't be able to be together anymore."

Soul sniffed thoughtfully. "Yeah, compared to them, I feel normal with my mommy issues." He nearly spat the words "mommy issues".

Maka shrugged. "Well, step one is admitting you have a problem."

Soul gave her a look. "_Thanks_." He said sarcastically.

She pecked his lips. "Anytime."

Soul yawned and looked over her shoulder at the clock. "It's only eleven. Why am I so tired? Oh, right, jet-lag."

Maka yawned in sympathy. "Stop that." She said into the yawn.

Soul didn't reply but started to get undressed, both deciding that now was probably a good time to go to bed. Sleep sounded like a good idea.

The pair stripped and climbed under the covers, Soul embracing Maka. His hands rested softly on her stomach, fingers slowly running along her skin. Maka giggled at the tickling sensation and he stopped, kissing the back of her neck instead.

"Night Maka. I love you." He said, nuzzling her neck.

"Love you too." She mumbled, growing sleepier at his gentle, reassuring touches.

* * *

><p>The next morning a knock on the door awoke them with a start. "Rise and shine." Jen said brightly through the door.<p>

Soul craned his neck and looked at the clock. "Huh, 's eight. She let us sleep in." He noted groggily.

"I'mma sleep..." Maka buried her face in the pillow.

He considered the inviting option and laid his head back down.

"I made eggs and bacon!" Jen called invitingly from the kitchen, he voice more distant.

"Hah." Maka snorted. Like that'll work.

A "woosh" was her reply as Soul vaulted over her and grabbed a pair of pajama pants from the floor.

One of Maka's eyes opened with all of the fanfare of a thunder roll. She'd been betrayed. "Get back in bed." She grumbled. "You left the window open and I'm cold. I need a heater, dammit."

Soul looked at her helplessly. "Bacon, Maka." He tied the strings of the pajama pants and opened the door, walking to the kitchen.

Early morning greetings and chatter flowed into the room, along with the odor of fresh-cooked breakfast. Maka's stomach rumbled. Betrayed once more, she groaned, foraged for one of Soul's t-shirts and slipped on a pair of panties.

As soon as she left Soul's room, she walked into a wall of smells. Instantly she looked forward to breakfast.

Three beats after that she was beating a path to the bathroom, leaving Soul looking rather dumb, half a slice of toast hanging from his mouth. Then her head was in the toilet as her stomach released its non-contents against her will. [7]

After a few seconds Jen was beside her, holding back her hair and rubbing her back. Maka was grateful beyond measure for the support. Once the retching was over, a glass of cool water was handed to her. Maka gladly took the glass and rinsed her mouth.

She stood on shaking legs with the help of Jen. Soul stood in the doorway of the bathroom. The half-eaten slice of toast still hung from his mouth. His eyes were wide with surprise, confusion and worry.

"Morning sickness." Maka said hoarsely as she reached up and grabbed the toast from his mouth, munching on it slowly as she walked back to the kitchen.

Soul stared after his fiancé and mother. "Welcome, this is your life." He noted dryly. [8]

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><p><strong>[1] That is the <em>last<em> time I try writing while listening to a novel. Near the end of _Brothers__in__Arms_ by Lois McMaster Bujold, right where I was when I wrote this, the protagonist weighs the suitability of doing this _exact_ set of actions when the second-in-command of his mercenary fleet is resigning to settle down and marry. It bothers me how much listening to Bujold's books alters how I think and write.**

**[2] Pronounced as "shaw-den-froid" and means "pleasure derived from the misfortune of others". Only the Germans could have a word specifically for that kind of enjoyment.**

**[3] Executive Decision time again! Wes is 3 to 6 years older than Soul in my mind. That leaves a lot of room for ages. I know people who haven't gotten licenses 'til they were 22 or so. If the Evans family is rich, which I have no doubt in my mind that they are, it's entirely possible that Wes was driven either by a driver or his parents for some time. Also, if the Evans family resides in a major city like New York, it's entirely likely that Wes didn't _need_ to drive until he was planning on moving away from a city with taxis every five feet.**

**[4] I had a clear mental picture of Soul's mom after I thought about the scene. Buxom, but slim. Well, now we know where Soul gets his hair!**

**[5] I don't know why, but Jennifer Cartwright just sounds right to me. I figured that being a musician was likely not a male-only trait and that she might have been the one to teach Soul to play the piano when he was little.**

**[6] Congenital heterochromia is having two eyes of different colors. Central heterochromia, which I myself possess (brown ringed by green), is a ring of one color around the iris with a different color further out. I'm not even sure if both are genetically possible to have at once, but dammit, I like the fucking idea.**

**[7] Morning sickness. Starts around week 6 of pregnancy, where the counter starts on the date of the last period. Guess what! It's been about 4 weeks since the events of YGS! So fun times to be had by all soon! Yaaaaaaay!**

**[8] Check out "Mental Health" by Zebrahead. This is a line from near the end of the song. It fits _so_ many situations. I've been noted to say that from time to time after something comes up that reminds me of how fucked I am.**

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><p><strong>AN: Well, I finally managed to crank out some more of the story. I can tell that this isn't the comedy extravaganza that people were expecting, and I'm somewhat sorry for that. However, to go forward, I needed to establish Soul's relationship with his mom and make a lot of things make sense, like Soul's aversion to his family.**

**I think I more than overshot my self-imposed drama quota for the story in this single chapter. But, my muse is the one who made me do it. I swear. The thing about the mommy issues is that it helps to flesh out Soul's background a lot. No child bolts from their family without good reason, and I don't think that being eclipsed by his big brother is a good enough one at all. So, I'm painting Soul's mom as one of the primary reasons. Soul occupied Wes' shadow for a long time, which is part of why he left, his mother tried to control him and his father... just ignored his existence, really.**

**I should point out that Jen is NOT the monster that I made her seem through Soul when he was speaking with Maka. He was emotionally compromised at the time, prone to hyperbole and, honestly, fucking terrified. One thing to remember here is that the characters ARE fallible. More will be coming soon to back this up, but I didn't want everyone getting turned against her so soon.  
><strong>

**Speaking of Papa Evans, I need a name. I was initially thinking Errol, but that was way too fucking old-school sounding. I'd like ideas soon because he's going to be coming up in the near future.**

**So, what do you guys think of Jen? I REALLY want to know what your thoughts are. I spent almost no time thinking about what she'd be like, I just let my fingers dance on the keyboard.**

* * *

><p><strong>AB: You know, some sick, sick part of me wants to see how many people would stick around if Soul had an Oedipus Complex about his mom and this turned into a ménage a trois. I think my traffic would hit a fucking _wall_. *manic cackle***

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><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 11:<strong>

**mynamebecait09: I can imagine the frustration of being out of the country during a major family-oriented holiday like Thanksgiving. I'm glad I was able to make you feel a little bit better. I hope you enjoyed chapter 11 when you got the chance to read it.**

**mabello: Glad to hear it!**

**cheeriolord: I'm under no illusions of how you crazy islanders eat. We have McDonald's and Taco Bell on every corner to aid in the hardening of our arteries, in addition to the self-imposed gluttonous holidays, but you guys do it to yourself at home. **

**To answer your question on where my inspirations come from, I read porn. Lots of porn. Manga specifically. You tend to get some interesting ideas from those. I just happen to be able to synthesize various acts and claimed sensations to blend them into a coherent lemon. I wish there was ANYTHING in this paragraph that I could be proud of.**

**Uchiha111DA: I live to serve.**

**Eieriann: Best of luck on not getting caught pulling off the mile-high club trick on a plane. As I said, that's a risky club to join. I'm glad you liked the story so far. I hope you like how I chose to present Soul's mom.**

**Alik Takeda: Yeah. Probably not in the flashy, spectacular way you were thinking of at the time, but then again, I never did have them get to the nuts and bolts of _why_ Jen came to Death City. That's for next chapter, and that's when the sparks may or may not fly.**

**Emcronia: I thought about making Spirit the one who blew the surprise, I thought about Kami, but I thought it would be even better if it was Lord Death, especially over something so trivial. I hope I did Soul's momma some justice.**

**MusicSoundsMySoul 14: Well, I posted. lol I hope that it wasn't so long in coming that I made you regret your words.**

**bluenian98: That she is. Now she's off tormenting poor Tsubaki and Black Star. God, there's a series there in and of itself for someone to write, if they were so inclined.**

**zexionxdemy4eva: I hope I'm keeping you happy with this new chapter!**

**AJ Soul Eater: Thank you.**

**NaruSakuPsycho: First, lrn 2 tipe. Sorry, I love harassing people for writing something I need to reread to make sure I understand it. I gave up on Maka67 long ago.**

**Second, I'm glad you like it so much. And feel free to PM me if you wanna chat me up. I may take a little bit to reply, but I'll get back to you.**

**Torrasque666: I'm glad people are commenting on the nuance. Means I'm doing my job. I hope this chapter was a decent follow up.**

**Twistedkorn: Sadly another chapter is required for his mom's full reaction. Thankfully, I'll be writing more and more now that I'm done with classes for a month.**


	13. You're in My World Now

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: looked over  
><strong>

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 13: You're in My World Now**

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><p>Maka sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed. Soul sat to her right, a fork of ketchup-dipped egg[1] halfway to his mouth, looking at her, concerned. Maka's attention was directed at the normally attractive plate of bacon, eggs and toast. She looked at the inoffensive meal as though something in it was a traitorous mole seeking her undoing form the inside.<p>

"Smelling one of these made me sick. Will eating it make me sick?" She asked Jen, sitting across from her.

Soul's mother laid down her fork and rested her chin thoughtfully on her laced fingers. "Not sure. Just about anything might set you off, or nothing at all. Just eat slowly, give it a moment and see if it seems to be sitting right. The toast worked well, but toast is about the gentlest thing you can eat on a bad stomach..." She fixed Maka with a knowing smile. "It's a minefield. You'll stress yourself out thinking about it too hard, so just go on like normal and remember what makes you sick."

"Personal experience?" Soul asked, sipping a glass of orange juice.

Jen closed her eyes, the smile remaining. "Yep. Changed when I was pregnant with you. Red meat cooking was like candy to me when I was pregnant with Wes. But with you, I had to run screaming from the kitchen a few times."

"Gee, thanks."

A companionable, if slightly tense, silence fell as they continued eating. Maka stared at each bit of food, like it would grow an evil face, cackle, jump down her throat and cause the loss of her breakfast. Soul and Jen merely watched her slowly eat with interest, ready to spring into action if she began to get sick.

Maka finally sat back from her plate, half of it empty, the other half uneaten. "Well, I think I'm good for now. I'm not hungry and I don't want to eat much more in case I have to see it again."

She pouted cutely, Soul thought with a slight pang of guilt. After all, her was at least half responsible for her current state.

"You don't have to do that." Maka was drawn from her thoughts as Jen made to clear the plates and clean up.

"It's fine dear. I don't get to do all the domestic things at home." Jen smiled and cleared the table.

"Hm?" Maka wondered absently.

"Nadia." Soul answered with a slight smile. "Our housekeeper. She's worked for us since I was little. Honestly, she's more like family."

"You had a servant?" Maka exclaimed, shocked. She leaned forward in wonder. _How rich _was_ the Evans family?_

"Servant?" Jen asked. "Oh no. She signed on to take care of Soul and Wes when they were little. Konstatin and I had so much going on those days that we were hardly around." Jen's amiable demeanor deflated as she recalled this. "She took care of the boys and offered to stay on once the boys were in school. We'd grown so used to her around we couldn't stand to let her go." the smile returned.

"Oh." Maka "Wait... Konstatin, as in Konstatin Evans[2] the famous cellist?" The shock came back to her face as she looked at Soul. "Your dad is one of the best concert _and_ solo cello players in the last thirty years and you didn't tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd react this way." Soul crossed his arms and looked away from her.

"I thought the last name was coincidental! I didn't know that he was your father!"

Soul just sighed. "This is why I don't talk about family. People act differently when they know you have famous parents. Well, famous in certain circles. Most people at school don't even know who my parents are."

The meister's frustration subsided. She had hit on Soul's sore spot and she'd let it go. "Sorry."

He looked back at her with one of his faked smiles. "It's ok. Sorry I didn't tell you."

Jen watched all of this from the counter near the sink that she leaned on. A small smile on her lips. _She's testing us._ Maka realized. _She's trying to see if we'll fight this easily._ From the woman's smile, it seemed like they'd passed her little test.

"So, do you two have any plans for today?" Jen asked.

"Yeah. We have to be at the DWMA at noon. Sid wanted us to give a demonstration to some of his third year students." Soul answered.

"Cool. What kind of demonstration?" Jen asked, genuinely interested. She'd never seen what Soul really did at school and knew even less about her son's status as a Death Scythe.

"We're going to show the kids what a weapon/meister team looks like when using Soul Resonance and how its boosts their abilities in combat." Maka answered. Soul winced.

"Combat?" Jen asked, curiosity giving way to concern. "I thought you were more like police or something. Not soldiers."

"How'd you think we collect souls of pre-Kishin, mom? Ask nicely?" Soul smiled at her, a glint of gleeful malice in his eye. _Welcome to my world, Mother._

"I thought that was some poetic way of saying you captured them."

"Your interest in my schooling and profession are touching." The humor left his smile entirely. "We find pre-Kishin that are preying, that is attacking and killing, on normal people. We kill them, and the weapon eats the tainted soul of the offender, making themselves more powerful and closer to becoming a Death Scythe, the highest distinction a weapon can earn in the DWMA. Any meister capable of creating a Death Scythe is revered for their skills and any weapon that becomes one is incredibly strong and the personal weapon of Lord Death, should he ever need a weapon."

Jen stared at her son for a moment, trying to see if he was messing with her head. "You... _kill_ people?" She asked, horrified. "And eat their _souls_?"

"We kill people who've given up their humanity... and sanity, to become stronger by eating the souls of defenseless people." Maka answered. "Having our weapons consume their tainted souls makes them stronger, more likely to survive in the fights to come." She hoped that explaining consuming evil souls increasing life expectancy in combat might reach Jen.

Instead, Jen looked like she found herself locked in a room with two serial killers. "But... that's so _twisted_..." She whined, trying to find some reasonable way of expressing her confusion and horror.

"Ma, look at it this way: either we kill and stop these evil people from killing hundreds of innocents and becoming a new Kishin, or we let it happen and madness consumes the human race." Soul was trying to put everything in perspective for his mother. _Jeez, when did it become hard to explain what we do to someone? Has she just ignored history or something?_

Jen stammered a few times, trying to form a sentence, and then hung her head as she collected herself. "I knew what you did was important... but I didn't know that it was trying to save the world... or that you had to do such," She struggled for the word. "_things_ in order to do it." The woman walked towards her son and wrapped her arms around him, smashing his face into her shoulder. "I never knew."

"It's ok, Mom." Soul replied when he could breathe again. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd have a hard time with it. Ignorance and bliss."

"Just don't do it again."

Maka watched the spectacle without saying much. It felt way too damned early for this kind of heavy conversation. That and she felt like she was an outside intruding on private business in her own house.

"Would you like to come and see our demonstration?" Maka asked after the silence grew too uncomfortable.

"I'd like that very much." Jen beamed. "Now, what about this 'Soul Resonance'?"

* * *

><p>Soul exhaled as he pulled the rental car into a spot in the parking lot near the school. It had ben an excruciating few hours. His mom had wanted to know <em>everything<em> about weapons, meisters and nearly everything else that they had been taught over the years. It had felt like one of Stein's exams in verbal form. He'd nearly run screaming form the room a couple of times. Thankfully, Maka was able to answer every one of Jen's questions in a textbook fashion with personal observations thrown in.

Honestly, Soul felt more mortified than anything. His mother, a long-time consumer of romance novels, chick flicks and a romantic in general, wanted to know all about Soul Resonance. He wasn't sure that she realized just how... _personal_ some of her questions were. Inevitably, Jen had asked what led Soul and Maka to start their relationship. He felt like he was being dragged over a bed of coals, broken glass and rusty nails as Maka recalled his words to her, verbatim, over their link before they had crossed the line and become lovers. Maka blushed while recounting his words, his mother made an odd, high pitched sound of something in the vicinity of jealousy that no one had ever said that to her, and Soul buried his head under his arms on the table.

"Aww, come on Soul! That was adorable." His mother had said, shaking his arm.

"Those words were for Maka!" He groaned from the depths of his arm-cave. "I said them like that because no one would ever know, just her."

Another round of excited noises from his mother and more questions had followed.

Soul put the car in park and pulled the keys from the ignition, his mother and fiancé still chatting happily. He looked up, out the driver's side window, at the pale blue sky. _At least they're getting along._ He groaned inwardly. _Well, at least she's not trying to find out more about my screw-ups._ He wasn't sure who "she" was, but assumed it applied to both women.

They exited the car and scaled the steps to the front entrance of the school. Soul led the way through the maze of halls on autopilot until he reached the room that Sid had specified and waited for the two women. He checked his watch while he waited. They were right on time.

"Ok, Mom. We'll answer your questions later, but please, keep quiet while we're doing our demonstration. This is for the third years. This is a group of kids struggling with Soul Resonance and we're here to show them the value of it as incentive. The last thing they need is to see their upperclassman Death Scythe's mom freaking out."

Surprised by Soul's instructions, the fact that he had _told_ her how to act and the stern wording, Jen simply nodded.

Maka noticed the change in Soul's demeanor. He usually began to act more serious when they were working with underclassmen. She noted with some amusement that Jen had entered Soul's domain and that the woman had no power over Soul when they were in _his_ element. Maka couldn't decide if that was frustration of admiration in Jen's eyes. _Are you going to accept that he's grown up, or are you going to try and put him under your thumb?_ Maka wondered silently. _ I can tell you which would be a bad idea..._

Soul took a breath, finishing his transformation from child to role model, and opened the door to the classroom. Maka strode in after him, confident in herself, Soul and their abilities as usual. Jen slunk in like a whipped puppy and stood near the door.

_Oh yeah, she does _not_ know how to handle this... Oh, hi, Crona._ Maka smirked, reminded of their friend's indecision.

"Ah, Soul, Maka." Sid greeted them. He paused and looked past them at Jen. "Mrs. Evans."

"Call me Jen. Jen Cartwright." She held her hand out to the zombie.

Sid took care to only firmly grasp her thin hand and not crush it. "Nice to meet you. Don't often get to meet a parent of one of my star pupils. I was very proud of my students when I was alive. That didn't change though."

Jen's smile froze to hide confusion.

"We'll explain later." Maka whispered.

"Pleasantries aside, it's time for the demonstration!" Sid released Jen's hand and turned to the classroom. "Now pay attention. Soul and Maka agreed to show you what Soul Resonance really looks like. Hopefully, we can get you motivated to get your rears in gear." He turned to the meister and her Death Scythe. "Whenever you're ready."

"Right. Soul." Maka held out her hand towards her weapon.

"Got it." Soul grinned and transformed into his scythe form, landing perfectly into his meister's outstretched palm.

Sid nodded and glanced towards a pair of dummies set up on the far side of the lecture floor of the tiered classroom. "Pay attention now. Maka will use a basic Soul Resonance attack to slice those two mannequins. Remember, this is a normal classroom and this is a destructive technique. It takes a high degree of cooperation between weapon and meister to control the Witch Hunter. Pay close attention and note the ease that the two control the attack with. _This_ is why you want to excel in using Soul Resonance."

Maka took her cue and braced herself. She drew a breath and exhaled it slowly. _Ready?_ she asked Soul over their link.

_Anytime._ Soul responded with a chuckle.

Soul's blade began to glow brightly then expanded to its gigantic crescent-moon shape. Mindful of her surroundings, Maka slowly swung her weapon around behind her like a pistol's hammer being cocked.

Slowly, Maka approached the dummy targets. She began to build up speed to a run. "Witch... _Hunter_!" She shouted. She easily swung Soul around and neatly clove the two targets in half. Actually, the targets exploded in a spray of foam a moment after they were sliced in two, the imparted energy ripping them apart.

Panting softly from the slight physical and heavy mental exertion, Maka pirouetted and faced the class with a broad smile. Soul returned to his human form and the duo took a bow to the class. A stunned silence gave way to a modest applause.

"And not a scratch on the floor, walls of ceiling. _This_ is the power of a properly executed Soul Resonance attack. That is your goal." Sid said to the class as he walked over to the meister and weapon and clapped a hand on their shoulders. "Excellent work, as always. Thank you for helping me out."

"Anytime Sid. Cool guys do favors for their friends." Soul grinned.

"Just say the word." Maka smiled.

"Don't forget you're also students." Sid reminded in a quiet voice. His lips quirked slightly as he repressed a smile. "Now," He raised his voice for the class to hear. "I have to take this group out to the training fields for some practice." A few groans floated down from the seated students.

"See ya." Soul waved as he opened the door to the hall, Maka doing likewise. Jen followed in a stunned sort of daze.

"_That_ was what Soul Resonance can do?" Jen finally managed to ask as she followed Soul and Maka down the hallway.

Her son and his fiancé stopped and turned to face her. Soul slid an arm behind Maka, his hand resting on her hip. "Yeah. Pretty cool huh?" He flashed his toothy grin.

"I'd say..." Jen agreed. "I've never seen anything like that. I mean, I'd heard about that sort of thing, but I've never seen anything like that. People like you are anti-bogeymen. You show up, stop the bogeymen and disappear into the night. There's nothing but rumors and myth that I found when I was doing research on the DWMA and Death Scythes and all of this." She looked completely overwhelmed. "And that teacher! What did he mean by 'When I was alive'?"

"Sid is a zombie, Jen. He was killed a while ago. Somehow he managed to get a Statue of Liberty figurine impaled in his forehead. One of the other teachers here, Professor Stein, brought him back." Maka explained.

"And he was allowed to just go on like nothing had happened?" Jen asked. "He doesn't hunger for flesh or anything?"

The teenagers laughed. "No Mom. He does go on about how being a zombie is liberating and all that, but he doesn't try and eat people. He's just a normal guy... who doesn't decay or age or fear death." Soul answered.

"Oh."

"So... Would you like a tour of the school? I mean, you're here and all." Maka offered after a moment.

* * *

><p>Soul and Maka showed Jen around the campus for another two hours. Soul had never realized how big the school really was until he had to show it to someone. Nor did he realize just how many people he knew until he stopped to introduce his curious mother to everyone he greeted in the hallway, including some of the staff and instructors.<p>

The training grounds captured Jen's attention for a while until she started to notice the heavy scarring on the trees and ground. Rather than go into lengthy explanations that would probably unnerve her more, Maka explained them away as training mistakes from younger students. She made an effort not to point out some of the more spectacular marks and trenches that she and her friends had made, not all of them so long ago either.

The library made Jen's knees weak. She was fascinated by the number of books dedicated entirely to training, being a meister, being a weapon and soul theory. What caught her attention more was the large collection of romance novels, both trashy and classics, that dominated a secluded part of the library. It was occupied by a number of girls reading silently, usually with bright blushes, smiles or an occasional soft giggle. Weapon/meister romances weren't exactly encouraged here, it seemed, but neither were they forbidden.

The extensive gym and pool didn't provoke much of a reaction from Soul's mother. Not that surprising, really.

Thankfully, Nurse Medusa's office was not on the tour, a note with the word "busy" encircled with a heart was stuck to the door and he wasted no time directing the party away from the infirmary.

Finally, Soul opened the door to the student music room that was loaded with various instruments, all of fine quality and maintained to excellent condition. Jen gasped in surprise at the large, black grand piano resting near a wall. She walked over to it and inspected it with the eye of a master pianist. Soul watched with an unreadable expression as Jen lifted the fallboard and gently ran her fingers over the ivory keys. She gently depressed one and listened to the note as it rang and faded away then nodded in satisfaction.

"This is the piano that Soul played for me when we first met." Maka offered.

"I thought so." The woman replied distractedly. The instrument was clearly the focus of her attention. She sat on the bench, adjusted the height to suit her and rested her fingers on the keys, her eyes closed.

Jen's thin and slender fingers depressed the first key.

Soul tensed beside Maka, who looked at him in concern that faded as she realized he was smiling. Maka took his hand and turned back to watch as Jen played.

The notes were soft, seeming to float softly around the room. The gentle sound was light, almost quietly joyous. After a short time a more sinister set of notes began to edge in and dominate the happier notes until they were quashed and the heavy, leaden notes took over entirely. Harmony gave way to a controlled discord and the gentler tones returned, as if trying to retake their domain. The crescendo, in all its passion, gave Maka goose bumps and made her hairs stand on end. It's energy expended, the song wound down, returning to its former air of gentle peacefulness. [3]

Maka tried and failed to stop herself from clapping. She managed to restrain it to a quiet clap that was a bit more fitting. "That was beautiful." Maka said as Jen stood from her bench and closed the fallboard.

"Thank you." Jen smiled. "It's nice to just play whatever I want from time to time. No pressure."

"Still as good as ever, Mom." Soul grinned.

"I still perform for people, so I have to stay in practice." She shrugged. "I don't suppose you play much anymore?"

Soul's face fell. "Not in a long time." He recalled the battle with Mosquito where he used Soul Resonance to channel his madness-fueled music to turn the tide of the fight.

Jen studied Soul's expression for a long moment and nodded. "I can't say that I blame you. You're so busy with your work."

Soul shrugged. "Something like that."

Maka's stomach growled in protest to its emptiness. The small sound carried well in the acoustically tuned room. She flushed in embarrassment and looked from Jen to Soul. "So... who's hungry?"[4]

* * *

><p>The trio sat at a table of a small restaurant a short distance from the DWMA, studying the menus.<p>

Soul looked at the offerings in mild distaste and sniffed derisively. "Why did we have to come here again? I would have been fine with burgers or something."

"It looked good to me." Jen said calmly. "And it was recommended to me by a friend who stopped in Death City on a tour."

Soul made a "harumph" noise and studied the menu with renewed determination. There had to be _something_ on this menu that wasn't incredibly fancy or covered in garnishes or something. How could a cool guy eat something that was all frilly and covered in exotic sauces?

Maka's spine went rigid as a waiter walked past them carrying a tray of food to another table. Something about the mix of smells did _not_ agree with her. Soul lowered his menu and looked at his meister, still hidden behind her own menu.

"Maka? You alri-" He was cut off by the scrape of her chair as she stood and bolted in the direction of the bathroom.

"How can she throw up what she hasn't eaten?" Soul growled as he too got up and ran after her.

Ignoring the sign declaring it the women's room, Soul pushed through the door, past a startled woman who had been adjusting her makeup when Maka had come in and found the stall that Maka had gone into. He knelt beside her in the cramped space and placed a hand on her back as she fought against the heaving of her stomach. With his other hand, he moved her pigtails back from her face and held them gently out of the range of anything that might be coming back up.

The girl's stomach heaved and wretched, but there was nothing to force out. Instead of the release of being done with the ordeal, Maka was simply treated to a few minutes of her entire body seizing with each heave and not being able to breathe as it did so.

Finally Maka leaned back and drew a long breath of air for her deprived lungs. "I knew it wasn't just in the mornings, but... _fuck._" She panted hoarsely.

Soul stood only after she did. He was well out of his depth now. Time to follow Maka's lead and do whatever he could to help. He was out of all control of what was going on now and he freaking _hated_ being totally helpless.

Soul nodded at the woman who had watched the events in concern as he placed an arm around Maka's shoulders and helped her out of the restroom.

"This sucks." She whined softly to him as they moved towards their table. Jen stood next to it, apparently ready to leave.

"Home?" She asked.

"Home." Maka replied.

Soul took the keys from Maka and went to get the rental.

"How long does this go on for?" Maka asked hopelessly as she sat on a bench on the sidewalk.

Jen stared off thoughtfully. "Supposedly it goes until week twelve, ten after conception." Jen answered. Maka just groaned. "But it stopped around week ten with Wes and week eleven with Soul." She said encouragingly. "Everyone is different. The nice, neat timetable you see in books and online is more of a suggestion." She smiled.

Maka groaned again. "Why does it have to be like this?" She asked no one in particular. "I mean, I wanted to kill Soul for coming after me and then I wanted to kiss him for it a minute later. What the hell?"

Jen gave a short snort of laughter. "Hormones. It gets worse before it gets better." Maka looked at her dubiously. "Aaaand that's _after_ the baby is born. Postpartum is fun." She dragged out the word "fun" as if she were reliving her own ordeal, which she might have been.

Maka's stomach rumbled again. "Hush, you." She mumbled, looking at her stomach.

"When we get back, I'll make something that should be easy on you. You'll be less likely to be sick when you're not full but not empty."

Maka's look or horror at the idea of food melted to thoughtful contemplation. "I need to step up my reading. I was looking more at development, not symptoms."

"Good idea. A baby is a parasite, like malaria. Treat the symptoms and the condition goes away."

"What?" Maka nearly choked.

Jen laughed. "Sorry. An old joke from my mother. If you look at it clinically, a baby is the mother of all parasites. If you take care of how you're feeling, then your pregnancy should go well. Just like malaria. If you treat the symptoms of a person with malaria rather than try and cure them, the bout runs its course and they get healthy again." [5]

Maka stared at Jen in suspicion. "Was your mother's maiden name Stein by any chance?"

Jen looked nonplussed. "No. Why?"

Maka leaned back and stared at the sky. "It's nothing. That just sounded like something one of the teachers would have said."

Somewhere, Stein sneezed.

Soul pulled up to the curb in the rental and put it in park. He looked equally put upon by his own chivalry and concerned for Maka.

"Our chariot awaits." Jen smiled as she helped Maka up and opened the door for her.

"Goody."

* * *

><p>"Home..." Maka sighed as she walked into the apartment. "I'mma take a nap." She mumbled as she staggered into her room and flopped down onto the bed. Soul followed his fiancé into the bedroom, coaxed her to get back up and helped her change into her pajamas.<p>

"I'll wake you up for dinner." Soul promised as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

Maka mumbled something he couldn't make out and rolled over.

"That was cool of you." Jen observed with crossed arms as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

Soul flushed red. "I was just helping." He said dumbly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I'm impressed either way. You've grown up so much and I never even knew. I was all set to swoop in and save you from an evil woman and a bad mistake. I was wrong."

Soul stared at his mother, his mouth open in shock. "You thought Maka was evil? that I was making a mistake?"

"I didn't know. You two have something very special. It reminds me of me and your father when we first got married." She smiled at the memory. "I... I didn't know what was going on or what things were like here. I kicked the door in on your life like some avenging saint only to find there was a convent where I thought a satanic cult hung out."

"Mom, you have a damned weird way of saying things sometimes."

It was Jen's turn to blush. "Metaphors aren't my strong suit. Regardless, I'm sorry, Soul." She walked over and embraced her son.

"It's cool, Mom." Soul returned the hug.

"I know I acted weird back at the academy, but that was a whole lot thrown at me so fast." Jen said as she pulled away from the embrace and sat down at the kitchen table.

Soul sat across from her. "I know. The DWMA and everything about it can be overwhelming."

"I understand that now. If I hadn't seen how much you've changed, I would be worried sick right now. I understand why you didn't tell me about all of this until now." She smiled almost sadly.

"It's not anyone's fault. I stayed away from home and you let me be like I said to leave me alone."

"True." Jen swallowed and looked her son in the eyes. "Soul, if you and Maka ever need any help with bills or anything, just let us know."

Soul cut her off by holding up a hand. He fished his phone from his pocket and pulled up his bank account information showing his balance and held the phone out for his mother to see.

Jen looked at the tiny screen, squinted and then whistled softly. "And you're only eighteen. If your father and I had had that much when we were you're age..."

"And that's _after_ I bought Maka's engagement ring." Soul smiled.

Jen raised an eyebrow in question. "Oh?"

"Maka's asleep, so I can't show you at the moment, but I have a picture of it." Soul changed the phone's display to a picture he'd taken with Maka holding her hand up to the camera and beaming.

Again she leaned forward and looked at the screen. Her eyes widened after a moment and she snatched the phone from his hand and held it close to her face. "Soul, that diamond isn't huge, but I know a good cut when I see it. That band looks like silver, but I know you. How much did that cost?"

Soul calmly took his phone back and brought up his transaction history, found the payment for the ring and handed back to her. He was expecting some kind of overreaction when she saw the price, but she just handed the phone back.

"You really love her." Jen stated in near deadpan.

"Of course I do. I bought the ring because I thought she'd like it, not because I wanted it to show that I love her. As it turns out the platinum was a bit overkill. She thought it was silver."

Jen laughed softly. "She's a great girl. I'm glad that you're so committed to making this work."

"Thanks, Mom." Soul grinned.

"Just remember that when things get hard. She's never going to be your enemy and you can never let yourself be hers. No matter how hard things may get, you're together. Ok?" Jen's eyes were still kind, but Soul got the feeling that she was desperately trying to plant a mental seed in him.

"I understand. I do. I've been willing to give my life for Maka and she's been willing to do the same for me more than once. We've got the scars to prove it." He attested proudly. "And that won't change. Ever."

"I saw your scar this morning. It looks like it should have been fatal." She observed soberly.

"Nearly was."

"And the person who did that to you is now one of your friends?" Jen asked.

"Yeah. Crona is the daughter [6] of Nurse Medusa. Before she and Stein... uh... got together and started acting as some sort of stabilizer for each other in their own way, Medusa did some experimenting. Long story short, she implanted Crona with Black Blood that was also a demon sword called Ragnarok. When we first met, we fought and I risked my own ass to save Maka."

"That's determination. I'll give you that." Jen nodded.

Soul shrugged. "I'm the weapon, she's the meister. That's just how it is."

"Well, I think we should get going on dinner." Jen said as she stood.

"Sounds good. By the way, how long will you be staying with us?"

"Oh, about a week. I want to get things going smoothly with Maka's diet and her stomach. Having someone around helps."

Soul felt a jolt as his fears of his mother taking over their lives returned.

"I want to teach you, more than her, how to help her with this. And you always have her mother to help as well. I just want to make up for barging into your lives like this. Might as well help out, right?"

The fears receded like a wave on a beach. "Sounds good. Teach me, oh Master of the Pregnancy." He grinned.

"Watch it." Jen warned. "A master I am not, especially after so long."

"Right. Let's get this going."

Jen smiled at her son's eagerness to learn. "You have much to learn, young padawaan." [7] Jen laughed and turned away from her stunned child and began picking ingredients from the pantry and fridge.

* * *

><p><strong>[1] Ketchup + egg = awesome. No one will dissuade me form this. And its spelled "ketchup", dammit.<strong>

**[2] Konstatin Evans. A Russian immigrant who was accepted to Julliard when he was 18 and became a noted concert and solo cellist not long after graduating. Soul's father. Yep, that's him.**

**[3] Frédéric Chopin's "Raindrop" Prelude, Op 28, No. 15. Made more notable in recent times by the Halo 3 "Believe" diorama TV ad. I love the song and I recommend you take a listen if you don't already know the song. **

**[4] If you randomly thought of cows being eaten by raptors and John Hammond, my work here is done. If not, then you clearly need to watch _Jurassic Park_ more.**

**[5] An interesting observation from a friend's mom.**

**[6] I had to broach this issue at some point. I like the idea of Crona as a girl better than Crona as a guy. Apparently in the Book of Eibon, its canonized that Crona is in fact a girl, so I go with that.**

**[7] Who says a concert pianist can't like Star Wars?**

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><p><strong>AN: Well, there you have it folks, another chapter of NtL and still nary a fucking thing going on. Don't worry for those of you who are getting bored of the pace, we will be experiencing time skips in the near future. Not dramatic skips, but skips all the same.**

**I decided to spend most of this chapter working on Soul and Jen's relationship. I'm doing my best not to make this all seems schizophrenic and have people suddenly change without reasonable demonstration and logical reasoning. I had fun introducing a "normal" person to the workings and daily life of meisters and weapons though. It's not hard to work out just how shocking some of the things presented as normal within the DWMA are to an outsider. fore demonstration: How did you first react to the stuff that I pointed out when you were reading or watching the show for the first time?**

**I didn't get all of the writing done that I wanted to over the course of my break and I'm headed back up to the Great Frozen North tomorrow morning. So, god willing, I'll be back at school with a few days to spare before the new semester starts. I may crank out chapter 14 then, but don't get your hopes up.**

**I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and New Years.**

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><p><strong>AB: THIS TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE!**

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><p><strong>Comments from Chapter 12:<strong>

**saveme57: I thought so too. I'm dealing with similar crap with my own mom at this very moment. Coming home from school is always trying, but it served as excellent inspiration for dealing with Soul and Jen's issues.**

**Maka67: Ezekiel or Zeke didn't fit into my mental picture. I finally decided on a Russian national and the name Konstatin fit well with that. I'm actually modeling his personality after a guy at my school by the same name. Interesting as hell, especially for a math prodigy.**

**chiconmayrox: And I love you. **

**MusicSoundsMySoul14: I hope you liked me fleshing her out a bit more. The chapter was a bit long in coming, but I think that it was worth the wait, yes?**

**mabello: Things worked out. Or did they? DUN DUN DUNNNN**

**Risuna-Phenix: I know that eye colors are a bitch to nail down by heredity, being polygenic, but I wasn't sure if more than one type of heterochromia was possible. Thanks for clearing that up. I actually had to use some dusty parts of my brain that have lain dormant since I took AP Biology in high school to follow your review**

**Also, I laughed pretty hard when reading the review. Long, complex and helpful explanation and "Oh by the way, I liked the story." Something about the switch made me laugh. Thanks for that.**

**NikolaiEvans115: I ALWAYS TYPE "117" FIRST BY ACCIDENT! DAMN YOU! *ahem* Right. Don't worry about it, man. If you miss reviewing a chapter, I just assume you're busy or something. If you ever miss 3 or 4, I'll be worried that I lost me a good reviewer.**

**I'm glad you're liking this. I _will_ get back on to reading "The Perfect Resonance" soon. I swear on my word as Puralewski. (Get _that_ reference and I may try to adopt you as a son)**

**cheeriolord: I hope this chapter didn't take too long!**

**Also, that is one of the most useful, substantive reviews I've gotten in a long time. I seriously kept your words in mind as I wrote this chapter. I know what I do that is making some people like this story now and I will work on it to use it to the utmost of my ability. Thank you.**

**bluenian98: Yeah, but some old hatchets were buried as well. Things will get a touch shaky again once Konstatin comes into the picture. Just. You. Wait.**

**Emcronia: I hope I continued to do things right with Jen. I was a little immersed in trying to create, portray and work to mend their issues. It was... enlightening. The morning sickness was prominent in this chapter, but it won't be so graphic or in your face in future chapters.**

**Black Star-Liz: For the other pairings, see "Playing the Part", my Christmas special. That's about the most I plan on showing as far as the other couples. I accept them as good, valid pairings, but I don't have the same amount of emotional attachment to them as I do Soul and Maka.**

**NaruSakuPsycho: Ditto on not finding much world building in other stories. Part of why I decided to delve into this particular basket of snakes is because I found a few stories that did, but I wasn't enamored with the way they did it, so I decided to take a crack at it. I'm glad you think I'm doing well so far, I just hope you think so after this chapter and the ones that follow it.**

**Faith Yuy: I do indeed plan on bringing him in. It should prove interesting if it goes the way that I think it will.**


	14. My Head Hurts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

**A/N: Well, this has been long in coming. I'm sorry about the delay in getting this chapter up and written. I'd like to claim school and life got in the way, but a serious case of apathy and loss of muse were the prime reasons that I didn't write sooner.**

**I hate to compound scarcity with brevity, but this is short chapter. Just something to get my creative juices flowing again.**

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><p><em><strong>Nine to Life<strong>_

**Chapter 14: My Head Hurts**

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><p>Soul stared at the wall in front of him through half-lidded eyes. He sniffed derisively, at nothing specific, just the situation. He tried to shift his arm that was going to sleep. The tinkling and rattling of metal sounded in response.<p>

"So... remind me again how _I_ would up chained to you two?" Soul asked his companions.

Black Star and Kid sat with their backs to him and each other in a triangle formation. Chained at the wrists to their neighbor. The chains wound behind their backs and forced their arms to cross, removing the usefulness of their arms.

"I _said_ I was sorry." Black Star grumbled.

"What possessed you to make a cat call at Maka? And when such a sensitive topic was on the table at that." Kid asked him in bored irritation.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time-"

"Famous last words before a scene transition." Soul noted sarcastically.

"How was I supposed to know that Maka would sick the girls on me? Black Star continued. "That's how we've been for _years_! She gets vulnerable and I make a joke and everything gets less tense. But _nooooo_. Now she thinks it's funny to bribe a janitor and lock us up in his office."

"Dude, she'd freaking pregnant. _Hormones_, man. You know when I came to school with a limp the other day? Yeah. Hormones." Soul growled. "You learn when not to do something stupid _real_ quick."

"And we got pulled into this by proxy." Kid stated.

"More like having a Y chromosome." Soul sighed.

"Can't you turn into a weapon and get out of these?" Black Star asked.

"It won't work." Soul answered.

"How do you know?" Kid asked in curiosity.

"Tried it with handcuffs once. When I turn back, I wind up still tied up. Dunno how."

"...Handcuffs?" Black Star asked suspiciously.

"Maka fell asleep one night after we tried-"

"Stop!" Kid and Black Star said in unison.

Silence filled the cool, concrete room.

"At least we have the TV." Black Star noted. "Gotta be something on."

"Dude, that's an old analog. Remember that deal about switching away from those a few years ago? That TV doesn't have a converter box. That means, God forbid, if we actually get a signal in here, we'll be subject to whatever some wackjob with a tinfoil hat is broadcasting." Soul was quick to burst this bubble.

"It's better than listening to you two breathe and air vents." Black Star grumbled and stood up, dragging his fellow prisoners with him. Yanking Soul around to allow his hand to reach the dial, he turned on the TV and scanned through the channels, using his teeth to turn to knob.

A series of static and snow-filled channels passed before a grainy channel showing a cartoon came on.

"Haha! Hell yeah!" Black Star hooted around the knob. Between the three of them adjusting the bunny ears[1], they managed to get the channel resolved into something viewable.

"Ah what the fuck. Ponies? Really?"[2] Black Star groaned as he stared at the mostly clear images.

"Hey, you wanted noise. Now turn it off." Kid commanded. "My arms hurt like this."

"Yeah yeah." Black Star said as he once again gripped the knob with his teeth to turn off the device.

Without warning, Soul sneezed. Not a normal sneeze. The kind that makes your heart stop and your chest hurt. The kind that makes you wonder if you just ejected bones from your body.

The convulsing sneeze made the entire group jump. Including Black Star, who ripped off the dial thanks to the jerk.

They fell to the floor in a heap.

"We've got a problem, guys." The ninja said after Soul made sure he was alive.

"What's that?" Kid asked sarcastically. "Other than being tied up, that is."

"The TV is stuck on."

"...Son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure it was a good idea to tie them up like that?" Tsubaki asked for the third time.<p>

"They'll be fine." Liz assured her for the third time. "They just would have gotten in the way."

"But why did we chain Soul and Kid up with Black Star?"

"To keep the little ass company." Maka said easily. "If we left him alone, he would have ruined that office trying to get out. Soul and Kid will be an anchor for him."

"She has a point though." Liz said after a moment. "Soul and Kid were getting ready to yell at him. Kinda punishing them for doing nothing."

Maka said nothing, but watched Patty as she walked ahead of the three women, humming cheerily to herself and looking around the arcade [3] in wonder, even though she'd been there a thousand times. Something colorful caught her attention and she ran over to a stall.

Maka sighed. "They'll be fine. We're almost done shopping and then we'll go and let them out." She held up a bag of clothes that she'd bought at a store catering to expecting mothers as evidence of their progress. "And I'm glad that they weren't with us when we were looking at maternity bras. Just imagine what that would have been like with Black Star there."

Liz and Tsubaki's eyes went vacant for a moment, imagining the scene. They shuddered in unison and shook their heads.

"Exactly." Maka smiled.

* * *

><p>"Oh come <em>on<em>! Another episode?" Soul groaned.

"It must be a marathon run of the series." Kid sighed. "I only pray that its almost over."

Black Star did his best not to scream in agony as his male pride was tested, stoically holding his eyes shut and trying to think of something else.

"What about this one?" Liz asked as she approached Maka and Tsubaki. The two were staring at a lingerie set that was little more than see-through lace. They looked up to see what Liz was talking about. Tsubaki blushed and giggled in embarrassment, a hand covering her mouth. Maka looked at the... garment and blushed.

"Oh my..." Tsubaki said, her imagination straying towards a certain ninja's reaction to her wearing that some night.

Maka was doing the same mental simulation on Soul. _The imaginary form of her weapon stopped dead in his tracks to the bedroom and stared at her as she played shy and lay on the bed. Soul's clothes seemed to hang in the air as he stripped and approached her. He kissed her and placed his warm hands on her-_

"That one!" Maka shouted and snagged the skimpy piece of arousal on a hangar and bolted to the counter. She only paused to check the size to make sure it would fit, and fit for a while with her body changing, before slamming it on the counter for purchase.

"Did you see that?" Liz asked, stunned. She stared across the store at her friend cutting in front of ten women and demanding that she be allowed to pay at that second.

"Yes..." Tsubaki mumbled. "Where did you get that again?" She asked Liz.

"Uh... Over there?" She pointed.

Tsubaki was gone just as fast as Maka had left.

"What the hell?" She asked herself.

After a moment, she imagined Kid's reaction to herself in that particular getup. "Patty! Get over here! We have color coordination to do!" She shouted at her sister while rushing join Tsubaki. Patty looked up from staring confused at the assortment of skimpy nightwear and followed.

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><p>"Make it stop!" Black star finally screamed. "Power cord! We gotta find the power cord!"<p>

Soul and Kid were jerked to their feet as Black Star jumped up and ran to the filing cabinet that the TV sat on top of. The ninja pressed his face to the wall to see where the cable went into the wall.

"Dude, chill." Soul grunted as his arms were jerked behind him. "It's just a cartoon."

Black Star whirled to face him. "It's in my _head_! I have to stop it!" He went back to searching for the outlet the TV was plugged into.

"Just let him unplug the thing. We can rest afterwards." Kid said to Soul quietly.

"What the hell?" Black Star breathed. "There's no outlet. It just runs into a hold in the wall!"

"Too bad. We'll just have to put up wi-" Soul began.

"Breaking the TV!" Black Star shouted and began to try and rock the filing cabinet. He was apparently trying to knock the TV onto the floor to break it.

After a few arm-wrenching body slams on the ninja's part, the cabinet remained firmly upright.

It was bolted to the floor.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me."

* * *

><p>"Where to next, Maka?" Liz asked. She took a sip of the smoothie that she had bought.<p>

Maka rested her chin on her hands, elbows propped on the table, sitting across from Liz. Her eyes stared up at the glass ceiling of the arcade in contemplation. "Got clothes for the next few months, got everything on the list Jen gave me, got some... " she blushed "other stuff..."

"I got a smoothie!" Patty interjected helpfully.

"We all do, Patty." Liz said with a smile. She could act like a five year old sometimes, but she was the one who had cackled with a terrifying smile when Liz had explained the lingerie idea to her. Patty was hard to place some times.

Tsubaki was still fidgeting and blushing occasionally, not offering much to the conversation.

Maka resumed her thinking.

"Think we should let the boys out yet?" Liz asked after a moment.

"I want to go to the book store, first. The one a street over." Maka stated.

"Doesn't that one have pretty much _only_ those cheap romance novels?" Tsubaki asked with an arched brow.

Maka smiled. A deep blush spread across their faces. Except for Patty who was busy trying to give herself a brain freeze.

"Right. Get the boys after." Liz agreed.

* * *

><p>Black Star was laying face down on the concrete floor, giggling softly to himself. His quest to destroy the TV or otherwise render it silent had finally been abandoned when he'd broken the knob off of the set's volume control.<p>

Soul sat with his eyes closed, trying to drown out the blisteringly loud cartoon by "playing" songs in his head. He found that trying to recall every minute part of a song would occupy himself enough that he could momentarily ignore the TV stuck on full volume.

Kid was actually watching the show. Apparently enjoying himself and laughing at the jokes. He'd been largely removed from cartoons when he was younger, having thought himself too mature for them when he was little.

The reaper's laughter was too loud and distracting. Soul gave up and started watching.

* * *

><p>The girls sat around a table in the book store, silently reading their novel of choice. The book shop was quiet, rarely getting many patrons at any one time, and the owner was happy to let people come in and read for a time. Maka took full advantage of the unspoken offer and stopped in from time to time to pick a novel and read a chapter or two and buy the book to finish at home.<p>

After Maka wandered in and picked a book from an author that she liked and sat down, Liz, Tsubaki and Patty had wandered the shelves and selected a book or two that sounded interesting.

Every now and then, one of the girls would look up at her companions in speculation and then go back to reading.

An hour of reading came and went. Then two.

"Ladies." The owner approached the table. "We're closing now. I'm going to have to ask you to pay for what you're buying and head out." She smiled at them kindly.

"What?" Maka asked surprised and checked her watch. "Oh no! They guys! We left them!"

They paid for their books quickly with thanks to the woman for letting them stay for so long. Once they hit the street, Maka broke into a sprint, shopping bags swinging, and made for the janitor's office that they had locked the boys in,

Liz, Patty and Tsubaki ran after her, trying to keep up.

Maka wiped stinging tears from her eyes. _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid!_ She raged at herself. She'd gotten so wrapped up in her book that she had forgotten all about the guys. She had left Soul _chained up_ because of something that Black Star had done! How could she be so damned mean to him? He hadn't done anything!

The meister's hand slammed into the crash bar of the door leading to the maintenance hallways. Maka flew down the halls, following the signs to the janitor's office and skidded to a halt outside the door. She paused to catch her breath.

Maka dug in her pockets for the key that the very happy janitor had given her after she had handed over a fair bribe for the use of his room. Liz, Tsubaki and Patty came to a stop next to her, panting and gasping as she slid the key into the lock.

"Is that... singing...?" Liz gasped.

The group stopped and listened. Music and voices could he heard through the door.

"The hell are they doing in there?" Maka asked in confusion.

She opened the door to find all of the guys sitting on the floor. They had arranged themselves to all face an old TV with a set of antennas on it. The volume was as loud as it could go, blasting the theme song to some cartoon with ponies in it.

And they were singing along. Even Soul.

Maka walked in, reached behind the TV, grabbed the power cord and yanked. The plug fell out of the recessed socket and the set turned off.

They guys sang a few extra verses of the song before slowing and fading.

"What the hell, Maka?" Black Star shouted. "We were watching that!"

Kid began to weep. "What happens next? How are we going to find out now?" He wailed.

Soul just smiled absently, like a grinning loon in an insane asylum.

"...what happened to you guys?" Liz asked.

No answer was forthcoming. Black Star kept yelling at Maka for turning off the show, Kid was an inconsolable mess, and Soul just stared at the blank screen with that creepy, vacant smile.

Quickly, Tsubaki unchained Soul, Kid and Black Star. Black Star and Kid dove for the TV and scrambled all over it, trying to turn it back on. Soul just sat limply.

"Soul?" Maka called him, kneeling in front of him. "Soul, are you alright?" Her tone became concerned.

Maka lifted Soul, placing one of his arms over her shoulder and led him out the door. Liz, Patty and Tsubaki bodily dragged their meisters from the room and locked the door.

"Soul? Say something. Come on!" Maka called frantically, kneeling in front of her weapon. "I'm sorry, Soul! I'm so sorry! I'll never do something like this again!" She fought tears and looked into his face for a reaction. His face was placid and blank, except for that smile.

Mumbled repetitions of her apology were lost as she held onto him and buried her face into his shoulder.

She kissed her weapon in one last desperate attempt to reach him. Nothing happened for a moment, but slowly his face returned to normal.

"What happened?" He asked groggily.

"You went catatonic watching some cartoon." Liz answered dryly while holding Kid in an arm lock to stop him from trying to break the door down.

"Wow." Soul said. "Last thing I remembered was getting chained up to those two after Black Star made a joke about getting maternity clothes for Maka."

"I'm sorry I put you in there with him." Maka sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"No big deal. I don't remember it, so whatever. Just don't do that gain. _Not_ cool."

Maka laughed and kissed him, thankful to have him back from whatever Never Never Land he'd been in.

Seeing that Maka's kiss had broken whatever spell the show had placed Soul under, Tsubaki emulated the tactic on Black Star. She grabbed his face in both of her hands and kissed her meister deeply. Initially he struggled, but after a moment, he melted into her arms.

"Thanks..." Black Star mumbled. "I needed that."

Tsubaki giggled and whispered something into his ear. The ninja's face turned bright red and he became oddly docile.

Knowing how to cure Kid's hysteria, Liz did the same and the spell was broken.

The three friends parted ways at the entrance of the arcade and headed their separate ways home. Maka clung to Soul's arm as she recounted what she had done while he was in the janitor's office. Soul smiled and laughed with her.

They continued their walk home, enjoying each other's company and the falling night.

Soul hummed some song that Maka had never heard before as he held her hand.

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><p><strong>[1] This is an <em>old<em> TV. Like the kind your grandparents had back in the day. Knobs for channels and volume and "rabbit ear" antennas for signal reception. These things need a special box to convert digital cable to something they can show after the analog to digital switch a few years ago. The old analog channels aren't really regulated anymore and the channels are available for anyone to broadcast on with the right equipment.**

**[2] Yes. "My Little Pony". Don't go sqee-ing on me. I want the show to be cancelled. I've literally lost friends to this show. They get pulled in and it becomes ALL that they talk about.**

**If you actually like the show, chill. This will be the last time I mention the show except for possible jokes in the future. I won't be continually hating on the show.**

**Also, my roommate and his girlfriend watch the damned show. Fuck my life.**

**[3] For my American readers, shopping arcades are the same as a shopping mall. The main reason I chose the word "arcade" rather than "mall" is because a mall in Death City, which is architecturally like an old part of a European city, isn't really suited to have a sprawling monolith like an American mall. Really, think of a shōtengai (Wiki or Google it) is a better example of what I'm going for: several parallel streets enclosed with a glass ceiling.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, there it is. A comedic little chapter that is better suited to a oneshot than a chapter of NtL. I apologize for its small connection to the series, but I just needed to get back into the flow and start writing again. **

**I plan on making a real chapter soon. Soon being a relative term. Real plot and lemon content should be ahead in the near future.  
><strong>

**I'm hoping that this means that my muse is back and that I'll start wanting to write more again. I seriously went through a month-long time where I just didn't care to write any more for the series. I just haven't felt like writing lately.**

**OH!**

**I made a slight fuckup in my timetable of Maka's pregnancy. Last chapter and the chapter before, I had Maka experiencing morning sickness, even though she was at around the 4 1/2 week mark. Yeah... I'm going to have that have been a warning shot and not the real thing. Some women, from those I've talked to, do get a "false" couple of bouts of morning sickness before some calm and then it hits in force. So that's what we're going with. Sorry for the mistake.  
><strong>


	15. Humdrum

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 15: Humdrum**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 6, Day 4<strong>

The double beat of Emi's little heart was entrancing.

"And... there she is." The technician working the ultrasound said happily. "Can't really make out much at this stage, but if you look here," She pointed at one gray swirl on the screen. "You might just make out her head."

Soul leaned towards the monitor and squinted his eyes, trying to discern his daughter's head from the background image. "Looks more like a Rorschach test to me."

The technician laughed. "You'd be amazed how many people say something like that."

"I see her just fine." Maka said with a smile.

"Call me stupid then. I don't see it, but that little heartbeat is all I need to hear at this point."

"Stupid." Maka joked and stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's a nasty scar, by the way." The technician noted casually as she adjusted the ultrasound device.

"A little souvenir from a trip to Japan." Maka told her. "Got the stitches out a few days ago."

The woman whistled. "Nasty memento, if I say so."

"No joke. I nearly had a heart attack." Soul agreed.

"Thankfully, I wasn't hurt too badly. The same for Emi."

Silence, except the rapid beat of Emi's little heart, fell over the room for a time. The soon-to-be parents stared at the image of their daughter, barely the size of a pea, intently.

"Alright. I've done everything I need to. If you want, I can give you an image from the ultrasound." The woman said as she cleaned off the imager.

"Yes please!" Maka replied with all the joy of a little kid offered a second scoop of ice cream.

"Ok, I'll have it for you before you finish up with the doctor."

* * *

><p>"Well, that was interesting." Soul observed as they walked out to the parking lot.<p>

Maka held the printout of the ultrasound in her hands, Emi helpfully circled in red ink, staring at it with a faint smile. "Yep."

Soul chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "And here I thought you would be all bubbly and talky on me."

"Baby's more interesting." Maka replied, not tearing her gaze from the sheet.

"Ouch."

"Don't be silly." She gave him a quick kiss. "I've just never really seen one of these before, let alone of my own baby."

"You know…" Soul said after a thoughtful moment, "Its freaking weird to say that; 'our daughter', 'our baby'... I wasn't expecting this kind of thing for... well, a while."

Maka looked up thoughtfully at the sky for a moment, her lips pursed. "I'm not so worried about it. I mean, I'm scared, but I know that I have you, all of our friends and my parents." She smiled at Soul. "We won't be alone in this."

Soul chuckled lightly. "Yeah. I know your mom will be impossible to keep away. Same for your dad. He's not going to ever want to let Emi go."

The image of an infant fighting to escape the overprotective arms of Spirit passed in both of their minds and they laughed.

"Pretty sure that your mom is going to come by. Your brother too." Maka said as she wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling a little.

"Yeah... Wes is going to want to meet his niece. I think a restraining order, an edict from God and a platoon of Marines wouldn't keep my mom away."

Maka looked at Soul meaningfully. "You really think that wouldn't stop her?"

"You know how your mom is? Yeah... double her determination and add some really disturbing lateral thinking and you have my mom when she's dead set on something. If a frontal assault fails, she'll arrange for a circus to drop by the enemy camp and distract everyone with balloon animals and sneak in and accomplish her goal."

"Personal experience?" Maka raised an eyebrow.

"When I was six, I really didn't want to start school and I told her that I would do any number of things to stay away from a school. So, she never told me when I was supposed to start school. One morning she woke me up and told me we were going to an arcade that I loved. _Completely_ missed her carrying a backpack and the fact that she dressed me up in a school uniform. Next thing I knew, I was standing on the curb outside the school with the principal as my mom drove off."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I never did forgive her for that one." Soul sighed with a smile.

"No, I mean, that was _good_." Maka said in awe. "That's... freaking brilliant. I'll remember that one."

"It won't work on me again." Soul grumbled.

"No, but on someone else. Like Emi."

"Or Black Star." Soul laughed. The laugh stopped once his eyes fell on his motorcycle. He stared blankly at it for a few moments.

"Soul?"

The stare became wistful. "Sorry. Just... thinking."

Maka carried the one. "Oh. What the doctor said."

"I'm keeping it." Soul suddenly said defensively.

She smiled at him. "No one said you had to give it up. We just need a real car. Riding a motorcycle isn't very good for a pregnant woman."

"I'm going to miss it." Soul wore a sad smile.

"Miss what? I'm not a mind reader, honey."

"Riding with you." The sad smile shifted to Maka. "I always liked feeling you pressed up against me."

Maka tried to stifle a laugh but it came out as a snort. "Way to make that sound dirty."

The weapon's face flushed. "What happened to the old, prude Bookworm that I knew? She would have let that one go sailing past."

The mesister leaned towards him, her lips just barely touching his ear. "She's dead. Gone with my virginity. The Dirty Bookworm is here to stay." Her tone was almost disturbingly sensual and amplified by a little nip on his earlobe. "Can you live with that?" She asked as she stood upright.

Soul stared at his fiancé with wide eyes for a moment. "I'm strangely comfortable with it."

The motorcycle gave a throaty roar and sped away from the hospital on its swan song trip home.

* * *

><p>Soul flung himself on the couch and flipped on the TV, instantly immersing himself in a sea of colorful images, advertisement and shallow plots. He sighed and adjusted himself for maximum comfort.<p>

Maka was humming to herself softly in the kitchen as she fixed the printout of Emi to the fridge, making sure that it was just right. Still humming, she turned the thermostat up to keep the minimal chill creeping in from outside at bay.

"My personal heater!" Maka grinned as she joined Soul on the couch, ignoring his protests and jamming herself between him and the back of the couch. Admittedly, the position must look ridiculous, but laying half on top of her weapon and being halfway wedged into the couch was incredibly comfortable.

"Sometimes I think you like me only because I'm warm." Soul grumbled, wrenched from his reverie.

"You're half right." Maka mumbled into his ear, the very picture of comfort.

"Only half?"

"Yep."

"Not going to tell me what the other half is?"

"Nope."

Soul grunted, giving up trying to pry the rest of the joke from her. He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together and closed his eyes. Laying on the couch on a sunny afternoon was relaxing. Laying on the couch with the woman he loved more than life itself, feeling her warm body pressed against his and feeling her slow, rhythmic breathing… that was bliss. A gentle, contented sigh escaped his lips as Soul let himself mentally sink into the feeling of Maka's closeness.

"That's the other half." Maka mumbled.

Soul smiled but said nothing. _This_ was happiness. Not some huge party or a thousand friends on a social website or a whirlwind tropical romance. The little moments stolen from a busy life to relax with Maka.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 6, Day 5<strong>

"Damn, dude. How many does that make?" Black Star stared at Soul knocked back the last of his Monster.

"I 'unno… Five? Six." Soul cracked one bloodshot eye and slowly looked around the too-bright room.

"So why are you slamming energy drinks like a frat boy with cheap beer?" Liz asked from her seat behind them. She sat resting her chin in her hand, looking down at the two boys with a raised brow.

"Maka. Kept getting up last night. Woke me up every time 'cause she likes sleeping between me 'n the wall."

"I'm right here, you know." Maka grumbled from behind her book.

"How the hell are you so chipper?" Soul asked as he double-checked the cans of energy drink that he had chugged to make sure they actually had the ingredients in them necessary to wake him up.

"Tea." The mesiter responded simply.

"Tea?" Liz asked.

"Yes. Tea has a surprisingly large amount of caffeine in it." Kid answered. "Not enough to wire you like Soul will be in," The young Reaper checked his watch. "About an hour. Good luck with that, by the way, Soul."

Soul glanced around at his friends. Every one of them wore a smile with various degrees of malice in them, even Tsubaki who looked equally apologetic and malicious. "What about her? How is she always so freaking energetic?" He pointed at Patty who was humming happily and drawing in a notebook.

"Adderall." Liz answered.

"The ADHD medication? The one that's supposed to calm you down and give you focus?" Soul asked in deep confusion.

"Yes, that's right." Kid answered.

"Up the dosage."

"You're just mad that Maka kept you up all night going to the bathroom." Patty giggled absently, not looking up from whatever she was drawing.

"Yeah, yeah." Soul growled as he sat back down in his seat. The distant squeaking of casters reached his ears. "And here comes my pick me-up." He smiled at the doorway to the hall.

On cue, Professor Stein came into view, riding on his rolling office chair. Soul smiled, mentally seeing the next few seconds play out in slow motion as Stein's chair tipping over, dumping the instructor onto the floor.

A collective brick was shat when the same event repeated for the last few years failed to occur. Instead, the office chair did a little bunny hop over the treacherous seam in the doorway and continued rolling to the center of the lecture area.

"Tada." Stein said in his typical monotone, spreading his arms in triumph. His smile faded when the class failed to applaud. "Huh. Not what I expected the reaction to be." The professor turned the screw in his head, contemplating this.

"Wait, you've been trying to do that since day one?" Soul asked.

"Of course. Do you think that I enjoy falling on the floor every morning?"

"But… you've been falling every morning for _years_. I thought that was just your way of saying 'Hey, I'm here, shut up.'."

"Of course not. I do that when I announce that I'm taking attendance. Now, are there any more questions before we begin?" Stein looked expectantly around the class room, seeing only dumbstruck faces. "Very well. Now, for attendance…"

* * *

><p>"Are you going to eat anything, Soul?" Maka asked her weapon.<p>

"Nah, I'm good." He spoke so rapidly that his sentence sounded like one word. He gripped the edge of the cafeteria table so tightly that his knuckles were white and he was bouncing both legs so fast that they were nearly a blur.

"And I made you a nice big lunch too." Maka whined.

"It's cool. I'll eat it later. Promise."

The others were oddly quiet at lunch that day. Black Star was even being quiet, slowly eating the boxed lunch that Tsubaki had made for him. All eyes were on Soul, waiting for a twitch to turn into some explosion of over-caffeinated energy. Truth be told, it looked like he was about to burst into flames, trying to stop himself from getting up and running laps around the school.

"I told you that this would happen." Kid said with an uncharacteristically devious smile. "Not like you could have done anything about it by the time I told you."

"Can't be helped." Soul said rapidly, staring off in the distance, trying to concentrate on _not_ jumping up and running around.

"I cannot wait for the crash." Liz grinned.

"How was the ultrasound yesterday, Maka?" Tsubaki asked, changing the subject.

"It was amazing! You could even hear her little heartbeat. I've got a copy of the ultrasound image on our fridge."

"Hold on, aren't you, like what, six weeks in?" Black Star asked. "Isn't she really tiny?"

Maka smiled, recalling the image on the screen. "Yep. But the heart forms really early on. So we got to hear it."

The ninja sat back, crossed his arms and stared into the middle distance. His face went from blank, to a perverted grin, back to blank and then his face began to redden until he looked like he would pop.

"Are you ok, Black Star?" Tsubaki asked after a moment.

"I'm good." He responded, his voice distant and dreamy. His eyes met his weapon's and he was done. A powerful nosebleed flung him back and out of his seat.

"What just happened?" Liz asked.

Soul answered her with a rapid outpouring of noise that might have been words if he had been able to slow down. The only words that Maka heard were "imagining", "Tsubaki" and "ultrasound".

"Now I'm worried about _him_."

"Should we take him to see Nurse Medusa?" Kid asked.

"No… Need" Soul said, straining himself to speak slowly.

"Are you going to be ok, Soul?" Maka asked him, holding his chin and forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Yep!" He shouted. "Marathon!"

Before Maka could even open her mouth to ask "What?", her weapon leapt from his seat and sprinted out of the cafeteria. She could have sworn that he moved so fast that he left an afterimage.

"Huh." Liz looked from the door Soul had disappeared out of and then at Tsubaki kneeling next to her meister, fanning him and fretting over his loss of blood. She shrugged and bit into her sandwich.

* * *

><p>Afternoon classes came and went without much incident. The exception being that Black Star wore a dumb grin on his face and a faint blush that intensified whenever he looked at Tsubaki. Soul didn't show up to any of the classes, though. He probably <em>was<em> running laps around the school like Kid had predicted.

When the final bell rang, Maka collected all of her belongings, said goodbyes to her friends and headed for the front entrance to the school. Outside the large double doors, a small crowd of students clustered around something on the steps.

Curious, Maka walked over to the cluster of students and tried to get a look at what they were staring at.

"Dude, is he dead?"

"What happened?"

"Woah, someone go get the nurse."

"Isn't he a Death Scythe?"

"Did he get into a fight?"

"That's the senior, Soul Evans."

Maka pushed her way through the students after she heard her weapon's name. Sure enough, Soul looked like hell. He lay on the steps, sleeping, without a care in the world after the crash from his energy drinks and his exercise. Soul really had run laps around the school. His shoes were in tatters, along with his pant legs. He had likely just run aimlessly and wound up sprinting through the training grounds, blazing a trail through thorn bushes.

"Damn it, Soul." Maka breathed as she knelt down next to him and tried to shake him awake.

"Who's that girl?"

"Seriously? You don't know who Maka Albarn is? She's his meister. Made him into a Death Scythe."

"Ok, show's over. Everyone out!" Maka shouted at the group of underclassmen. It might have been her tone, the look in her eyes or the dictionary that she had pulled from _nowhere_ that she held like a machete, but the gawkers broke up and went on their ways.

"Soul, wake up." She said gently. "Sooooouuul. Get up."

No response. He was well and truly out of it.

"Come on Soul, it's time to go home." Maka cooed, shaking his shoulder gently.

Still nothing.

"Wakey wakey." She whispered in his ear, placed a light kiss on his neck and sat up. For a moment nothing happened, then Soul's eyes fluttered open. "Afternoon, sleepyhead."

"Ow…"

"Did you hurt yourself on your run?"

"No. There's a step right in the middle of my back." Soul sat up and flinched. "And the sun is making my eyes want to explode."

"That's from the energy drinks." Maka said softly. "So, what did you learn?"

"Sleep on the other bed when you have to get up like that every night, and don't chug energy drinks like that." He rubbed his eyes, trying to make the pain go away.

"Glad to see you learned from this."

"And here I was worried you'd get me with a Maka Chop of Maka Kick." He smiled ruefully at his fiancé.

"Why would I do that when you've done a better job kicking your own ass than I could have?" She laughed. Softly, so she wouldn't rub it in too much.

Soul sighed. "True that." He grunted and stood up, swaying slightly on tired legs. Maka took pity on him and placed herself under one of his arms to act as a crutch as they walked down the stairs.

"I did think of something while I was running through the woods." Soul said halfway down the front steps to the school.

"Oh?"

"We need to get a bigger bed and set it up so one of us can get out and not wake up the other."

"That's a good idea." Maka smiled and pecked his lips. "I was thinking something like that too. Wanna go shopping for a new bed?"

Soul groaned and held his head. "Not today… I just want to sleep. For a year. At least."

* * *

><p><strong>Week 6 Day 6<br>**

Soul sighed in frustration and looked up at Maka's sleeping face. "She bitches that I never wake her up with sexy fun, but when I try it out, does she wake up? _Nooo_…"

_You know, this might actually be more enjoyable if I didn't feel like the creepiest man to ever have snuck in bushes and stolen panties…_

Maka stirred from her sleep slightly and tried to roll over. When her body found it difficult to roll over due to some obstruction, it kicked things higher up the chain of command. One eye managed to open slightly and look at what was stopping her from rolling over.

Soul stared up the length of Maka's body at his meister with a smile that tried to combine the Cheshire Cat and the innocence of a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. The smile failed spectacularly in doing anything but looking creepy.

"Morning, Maka." Soul said nervously.

The girl groaned and let her head drop back to the pillow. "You finally woke up before me and tried it…"

"Not my fault you sleep like a brick."

"I do not-!" She began to protest but her voice hitched in her throat as Soul's tongue ran over her clit. Her breath slowly escaped in a series of squeaks as the tongue circled, ran over, caressed and did just about everything it could to her.

"Then explain how you got this wet and didn't even know it?" Soul teased his lover. For added emphasis he gently slid two of his fingers inside of her, savoring the warmth and the way she shuddered in delight.

"Ok. You win." Maka gasped. "Now finish what you started." The jade eyes now directed at Soul were not the ones he saw not a moment ago, foggy with sleep; the lust in Maka's eyes would have been visible at twenty paces and burned with an intensity that set him on fire.

"Your wish is my command." Soul flashed her is toothy grin and returned to his ministrations with gusto.

If she was wet a few moments ago, Maka was like a burst dam now. Soul lapped at her with his tongue from every direction he could manage. He paid extra attention to her exposed little pearl, licking it directly, circling around it, even gently grazing his teeth over it.

Maka bucked her hips in a primal response to the pleasure. Cute little moans and squeaks broke from her lips, eventually giving way to deep, throaty groans of bliss and rapid, panting moans.

She wanted him to do more, Soul knew. She wanted him to delve deeper with his tongue. Her hips bucking whenever his tongue was oh so close to her entrance was hint enough. However, that wasn't in his plan.

Instead, Soul plunged his middle finger inside of his meister and began slowly pulling it out, dragging over every crease and contour of her before sliding it back in, timed with a powerful stroke of his tongue.

As the moans grew louder and the bucking of Maka's hips became more and more frequent and intense, Soul opened an eye and looked up at her. Maka was forcing her head back into the pillow until she was lifting herself off of the bed while clutching at the pillow with one hand and gripping the sheets with the other. She was close. Damned close.

Another finger entered Maka just as her muscles clamping down on his middle finger were becoming painful. Coupled with a strong suck on her clit, it was too much.

Maka's eyes flew open as she screamed out his name and her hands clamped down on the back of Soul's head, pulling him against her as hard as she could.

As the shuddering and shouts wound down to whimpers and pants, her grip on his head eased. Soul broke from her grip and crawled up Maka's still-shuddering body and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Happy, now?" He asked with a lopsided grin.

"Best. Wakeup. Ever." She panted and smiled at him. Suddenly, her legs wrapped around his waist. "But you haven't finished what you started yet." The smile morphed into a seductress' "come hither" grin as her hand found his hard-on and positioned it just right. Using her hold on his hips, she pulled him all the way inside of her.

Soul groaned at the sudden assault on his own senses as he plunged inside of her warm, wet depths. A little squeak followed by a contented sigh issued from Maka's lips as well.

Damn those lips, always being all cute and kissable. Soul followed his urge to kiss his meister deeply as he began to move his hips. The heat of the moment made thoughts like "morning breath" go sailing past his consciousness when Maka moaned into his mouth. He took advantage of the opening and darted his tongue into her mouth, seeking out its opposite. Maka returned the kiss with fervor. Their tongues fought for dominance, seeking to subdue the other.

Focusing on the kiss was a welcome distraction for the weapon. It allowed him to take his mind off of just how amazing it felt to be thrusting into the warm, rippling confines of his lover. It had been a few days since Maka had been in the mood or the opportunity to be intimate presented itself. Soul tried desperately not to think about how close to his release he actually was, lest he disappoint his lover.

However, all good things must come to an end, lest the human race fuck itself to extinction.

Maka clamped down every muscle that she knew how to control just as Soul reached his limit. The combined stimulation nearly blanked out Maka's recently awoken mind as her eyes rolled back into her head and she screamed out her lover's name with a few choice expletives. Soul slammed himself as deeply inside of his meister as he could and unleashed himself inside of her, earning still more cries of delight.

The two young lovers lay together in a heaving, sweaty heap for a time, trying to catch their breath. A few tender kisses and whispered oaths of love helped to blur the passing of time.

"Meow…"

"Soul? Did you just hear something?" Maka asked faintly.

"Not sure."

The two looked towards the door. Oddly, it was open. It hadn't been when Soul had begun his plan to return all of Maka's amazing wake up calls.

"Oh no." Soul breathed as he adjusted his vision downward.

Blair knelt next to the bed, staring at the two naked occupants. Her face was an oddly subdued shade of pink and wore a wistful smile.

"So that's what you two look like when you make love. Nya~" The blush deepened slightly.

"Blair! What are you-" Soul clamped a hand over Maka's outraged mouth.

"What are you doing in here, Blair?" He asked, trying not to show half the embarrassment or anger that he felt. Any strong emotions would probably lead to her scampering away and never answering the question.

"I was going to make breakfast, but I wanted to know what Maka-chan and Scythie Boy wanted. When I came in, I saw you two doing that. You really are oblivious when you make love like that."

Soul hung his head in frustration. "You know, you shouldn't be sneaking in and watching people screw."

"I know. But Tsubaki and Black Star would always kick me out when I tried to see."

"So _that's_ why they won't talk about when you stayed with them while Jen was here." Maka mused. "No wonder."

"Blair, you work at a freaking cabaret. How do you _not_ know what people having sex looks like?" Soul asked.

Blair's blush went from pink to crimson red. "Blair hasn't ever had sex." She whined softly.

An incredibly uncomfortable silence filled the room.

"No. _No_. One more time: no." Maka said, sitting up. "We are _not_ having this conversation while I'm naked and Soul is still inside of me!"

Soul pulled a sheet over himself and Maka as they disentangled from one another. This was far from the afterglow that he had envisioned. Why did things have to go from warm and carefree to dealing with Blair's sex-envy?

"Blair, we'll take in a few. We need a shower." Soul explained.

"Right. I'll make something to eat." Blair stood and walked out of the room, pausing to look back at the two lovers sitting under the sheet before walking out of the room.

"Is it just me or does she actually look depressed?" Soul asked.

"She's probably just playing with your head." Maka grumped as she got out of bed and put on one of Soul's old t-shirts to cover herself.

"I dunno." Soul said after he put on a pair of pajama pants for the short trek to the bathroom.

Maka turned on the water in the shower and stripped, impatiently waiting for the warm water to arrive. "She's just working some angle that winds up being amusing to her. That's what she likes doing. You _know_ that, Soul."

"Normally, yeah. But I've never seen that sad look in her eyes. I think she's genuinely lonely."

"Really. Why do you say that?" Maka arched a brow.

"She works at a cabaret and gets all the attention and faux affection that she could want, but she comes home to, well, _us_. We probably look like the picture-perfect couple to anyone else. Then she goes and gets stuck with Black Star and Tsubaki who are together, even though they're the most mis-matched couple of all time. That _has_ to make her think that she's all alone."

"Soul?" Maka asked, her voice flat.

"Yeah?"

"You think too much." She smiled.

"What do you think I used to do when I was always quiet and keeping to myself? Daydream?"

"I didn't mean that as an insult and you know it." She pecked him on the lips. "Water's ready."

A quick, if slightly arousing shower followed. It was incredibly hard to try and keep their hands off of the wet, soapy body of their lover.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" Blair shouted from the kitchen as the two left the bathrooms, destined for their own rooms to dress. The sounds of murmured incantations, clinking of metal and sizzling floated after them.

Dressed for the day, Soul emerged from his room and ventured into the kitchen. An array of dishes were laid out on the kitchen table. Eggs, toast, sausage, hash browns, pancakes and something that looked like an amalgam of them all: Blair's breakfast burritos.

Maka sat at the table already, filling her plate with the things that seemed least likely to set her stomach off. "Blair really went all out this morning, huh?" She asked Soul with a smile.

"No joke." He said as he sat himself down and loaded up his plate. "So, tell us what's bugging you, Blair."

Soul jammed a mouthful of breakfast burrito in his mouth and nearly died of ecstasy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, ladies and gents, that was chapter 15. Somewhat short and a bit schizophrenic, but I think it was a good chapter to get things going again.**

**Mostly fluff and filler, but the introduction to the next plot arc, if it can be called that. I genuinely like Blair, and I'm feeling like a little look into her life might make for an interesting contrast to Maka and Soul's life together as well as Maka's pregnancy. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this, but it may even revolve around Blair or be from her perspective for a chapter or two.**

**I know this might make you be a bit worried that I'm straying too far from the Soul and Maka center of this story, but honestly, until the first trimester is over, it's going to be more and more of the same. So, changing the focus for a few chapters could keep this interesting.**

**Also, I'm not going to be responding to reviews at the end of these chapters anymore. Instead, I set up a forum in Soul Eater for this purpose. **

**You can find the forum here: **.net/forum/Apoc326s_Story_Discussions/106776/****

**It's also linked from my profile. Feel free to use it, just don't expect responses at the end of chapters anymore.**

**Until next time, everyone!**


	16. Romantic Subplots

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

**A/N: Yes, I'm still alive and still working on this project. See the A/N after the chapter for more info/excuses/explanations for why this took so long.**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 16 : Romantic Subplots**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 6, Day 6<strong>

"I am _so_ glad you learned how to cook, Blair." Soul said after swallowing his first bite of hit breakfast burrito.

"Thanks." Blair said with a forced smile as she sat down, making no effort to get any food for herself.

Maka sat and glared at the food before her. She had gotten into the habit of eyeing her food and trying to decide what was least likely to make her regret eating it. Normally, she would just pass on eating, but Jen had made it very clear that Maka _had_ to eat, and not only for her sake, but that of Emi.

"So, what's bothering you?" Soul asked before taking another bite of the burrito.

"I'm just so… lonely." Blair moped. She sank into the chair, her cat ears flattening against her head, emphasizing her depression. [1]

"You meet plenty of guys at Chupacabra's. None of them are really interested in you?" Soul asked, regretting his wording as soon as the words left his mouth.

"They only like having me serve them. None of them are interested in who I am."

_Way to go Soul. Now she's about to cry._ Soul raged at himself.

"Have you tried, you know, going to a bar or club and meeting someone?" Maka asked, still having her morning staring contest with her breakfast.

"Not really… All that the kind of person there wants to have a one-night stand."

"What about anyone you've met around town?" Soul asked.

"No luck there either." Blair was resting her chin on the table now, the picture of pity.

"We'll think about how to help you out, Blair. Promise." Soul flashed his toothy grin at the cat and was rewarded by a sad, hopeful smile in return.

Maka finally decided on what she would try to eat for breakfast and the conversation changed topics. It had been a long time since the weapon and mesiter had really just _talked_ with their often absent roommate. A lot of the conversation was devoted to Maka's pregnancy and Emi.

"Thanks for breakfast, Blair!" Maka called as she and Soul left for school.

"Yeah! Loved the breakfast burritos!" Soul called from the stairway outside.

"No problem!" Blair called back as the door closed.

As soon as the door closed the smile faded and the sad, moping posture returned. After a moment of leaning on the table and sulking, Blair decided that it was time for her to catch some sleep before her shift at Chupacabra's.

Slowly, she rose from the chair and entered her room. She made her clothes disappear with a quick incantation and flopped onto the bed.

"Why not me?" She whined to the world as the stinging of tears clouded her vision.

* * *

><p>"Can you believe Liz?" Maka fumed for the umpteenth time. "'Why don't you just have a ménage a trois?' [2] Gah! The nerve!"<p>

"It was a _joke_, Maka." Soul reassured her.

"And then Black Star _had_ to agree! That's so embarrassing…"

Soul stopped walking and turned towards his mesiter. He grabbed Maka's shoulders before she could bump into him and pressed his lips to hers. "It was a joke. It's not going to happen. I love you and only you." He stared into his lover's emerald eyes. "Forever." He added with emphasis.

Maka stared at him for a moment and them wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too, Soul. I… I just can't stand the idea of you loving another woman. Even if it's while you love me."

"I couldn't love anyone but you, and you know it." Soul smiled. "Now, let's go see what we can do about getting a bigger bed."

"Ok…"

Soul wrapped a very possessive arm around Maka's shoulders as they walked towards Soul's motorcycle.

* * *

><p>Blair awoke sometime in the afternoon. Late afternoon sunshine filtering through her curtains offered that much of a hint. She groaned and rolled over, wishing to return to her beautiful dream of a man who loved her.<p>

Distant sounds from the kitchen made her realize that she wasn't alone. _Soul and Maka must be home_ she thought fuzzily.

A quick glance at her clock showed that it was six o'clock and that she might want to get up and started with her day. With a groan, Blair got out of bed and conjured herself a tame set of pajamas. All the fun had gone out of giving Soul nosebleeds by running around naked some time ago, so she had created a normal set of clothes to wear before she went out of the apartment.

As it turned out, Soul and Maka weren't home yet. However, there was a man in the kitchen, doing the dishes from breakfast that she had planned on doing when she woke up.

"Good morning." The man greeted her with a smile as she stepped into the kitchen.

Blair's heart skipped a beat at that smile. The man looked just like Soul, only a few years older and with normal teeth. "H-hi." She managed to choke out.

"You must be Blair, right?" The man turned off the faucet, dried his hands on a towel and held a hand out to her.

"That's right." She said timidly as she took his hand. Her heart nearly exploded at his touch. His hands were warm and smooth, except for his callused fingertips.

"I'm Wes. Wes Evans. Soul is my little brother." His smile was warm and friendly as he shook her hand.

The surprise at meeting Soul's fabled brother for the first time in her pajamas went a long way to hide her blush.

"So _you're_ Scythie-boy's older brother!" Blair exclaimed. "He talks about you sometimes." She added clumsily.

"I get that a lot." We chuckled. "I'm very proud of Soul. I know he's not too fond of me, though. Who knows, things might change now that he's going to be a dad."

"Why are you doing our dishes? I was planning on doing those before I went to work." Blair said, absently, looking for something to say.

"Ah. Sorry about that. My mother gave me the spare key that Maka gave her. I wanted to surprise Soul with a visit, but no one was home. Well, I thought that no one was home. So I thought I'd be useful and do some dishes. I put the leftovers in the fridge."

"Thank you." Blair said in a blank tone. She wasn't really sure of what to say. She went from a dream of a handsome lover to waking up to crushing loneliness to meeting Soul's incredibly handsome brother in all of five minutes.

"Are you ok?" Wes asked her, seeing the odd look on her face.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. I'm just going to go take a shower."

Wes surprised her by laughing. "Don't worry about me. You live here, I'm just an intruder. I'll finish up the dishes while you're in there."

"Thanks again." Blair grinned as she walked to the bathroom with a little more bounce in her step.

"What an interesting woman." Wes mused to himself as he watched her go.

* * *

><p>"That." Soul grunted as he killed the motorcycle and removed the key from the ignition. "Took forever." He checked his watch and grunted in irritation, seeing that it was already after nine o'clock. As if the sun being largely set didn't already tell him that much. So much for a night of playing games online before relaxing with Maka. He smiled at the thought. <em>Just means I've got more time with Maka.<em>

"How was I supposed to know that they had so many kinds of bed?" Maka asked defensively.

"Not your fault." Soul soothed. "I didn't know that there were so many kinds. Then the sizes… Man my back hurts. I haven't gotten into and out of that many beds… ever."

"Well, we shouldn't have to do that again for a while. The salesman kept saying that beds are good for eight to ten years."

"My back already is hurting for the next time."

"Soul?" Maka asked distantly.

"Hm?"

"Whose car is that?"

Soul followed her gaze to a small white rental car parked in their building's lot.

"Dunno. Maybe someone has a visitor from out of town…" He glanced at Maka for a moment.

"You don't think _we_ have a guest from out of town, do you?" She asked.

"Mom said she was busy for a while and would _call_a week before she came for the next visit. Dad wouldn't come without a really good reason or my mom dragging him… Wes? Why would he come visit?"

"He wants to see his little brother?" Maka answered with a sweet smile.

"Don't mock my issues with my family." Soul said in mock scorn. "Well, let's see if we do have a visitor." The weapon grunted as he dismounted his motorcycle and stretched his back.

Soul climbed the stairs to the apartment holding Maka's hand tightly. He loved his brother, and he looked up to Wes. However, his life was never easy living in Wes' shadow, nor was living up to the expectations that everyone placed on him thanks to his brother.

"It's ok, Soul." Maka whispered in his ear when he froze with the key hovering by the lock. A gentle kiss on his cheek to reassure him.

_What am I so worried for? I've got Maka. I'm a Death Scythe. I'm going to be a husband and a father. I've a legend in the world of fighting the Kishin and the evil people of the world. I'm freaking _cool_!_

Taking a breath, Soul inserted the key and turned it.

The sound of laughter washed over the weapon and meister as the door swung open. The two exchanged a look. _Wes and Blair?_

"Hey Soul! Long time no see." Wes called in greeting as the duo entered the kitchen.

Soul stared for a moment, taking in the scene before him. Wes sat at the kitchen table next to Blair. They had the chairs pulled slightly back allowing them to directly face each other. An open bottle of wine sat on the table, half empty. What struck him most was that Wes had his violin out and in hand.

"Hey Wes. Wasn't expecting you." Soul said amiably.

"Well, I thought I'd drop by and see what your life was like. Mom won't stop talking about some of the things you do around here."

"Hi Maka!" Blair waved. Her face was slightly red. Whether from the wine or the man she was sitting next to, the Meister was unable to tell.

"Good to see you Wes." Maka smiled at her soon-to-be-brother-in-law. "And it's good to see you in a better mood, Blair."

"The wine helps." Blair smiled as she poured herself another glass. "But so does having a concert violinist play for me." She giggled.

Maka laid a reassuring hand on Soul's arm after she felt him tense up at the mention of his brother's envied musical talents. However, the reassurance wasn't really needed.

"It's been forever since I've heard you play, bro." Soul smiled and took a seat across from his brother at the table. "Mind if I sit in for a bit?"

Wes looked genuinely surprised. "Not at all. I wouldn't mind playing for you guys too."

Maka took a seat next to Soul with a smile. "I've only ever heard Soul play for me in person before."

Another surprised look from Wes. "Soul played for you? He doesn't play for _anyone_. He must have really wanted to impress you."

Maka turned to look at Soul. "Really?"

Soul didn't meet her gaze and his face was flushed. "I just wanted to show you how cool I was."

A quick kiss was placed on his cheek. "Well, it worked. You never stopped proving that, though."

"Ok, lovebirds, time for music!" Blair cut in.

"Alright." Wes chuckled. He raised the instrument to his shoulder, placed the bow on the strings and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly, he began to play; launching himself into the song.

Soul recognized the song immediately and smiled, softly clapping his hands to the beat. Wes leapt to his feet and played like a man possessed. As suddenly as he began, he stopped playing and began singing. After a few lines, he began to play and sing at the same time. Maka was surprised when Soul started singing backup for his brother during the chorus.

The whole spectacle made it difficult to actually take in the lyrics. It was a song of an impossible love lost and found again. [3]

And then it was over. Wes, sweating, bowed before them, violin in one hand, bow in the other. Maka and Blair clapped and Soul stood, walked to his brother and gave him a brotherly hug of triumph.

"It has been way too long since I heard you play that." Soul beamed.

"It's been even longer since we sang it together." Wes smiled back

"That was beautifu-" Blair began. A loud thumping and a muffled scream for them to shut up from the apartment below cut her off.

"Oops." Wes whispered.

"Don't worry about them. They just can't appreciate good music." Blair grumbled.

"I think that might be our cue to go to bed, Wes." Soul stated.

"Alright. I'm kinda beat from the trip and performing. Mind if I take the couch?"

"It pulls out into a bed. I'll go get the sheets and some blankets." Maka said, getting up from the table and heading off to her room.

"And I have to go to work." Blair whined. "I'm an hour late already, but I don't think the boss will mind." She smiled at Wes.

"You didn't have to stay on my account." Wes replied. "I can play for you anytime, Blair."

"I'll hold you to that!" She kissed him on the cheek, collected her purse and waved as she closed the door.

"An interesting woman, to say the least." Wes stared after her.

"Yeah. We killed her once, took." Soul said nonchalantly.

"What?" Wes sputtered.

"She's a cat. She's got nine lives. Well, _had_. Down to eight as far as I know."

"She mentioned that you two thought she was a witch when you first me. I just didn't know you tried to kill her."

"And then she moved in with us. Go figure." Soul smiled.

"She's remarkable, really. Kind of an airhead." Wes noted, staring at the door once again.

"Yeah, but isn't that your type?"

"What are you saying, Soul?"

"Dude, it's obvious that she's into you."

Wes turned his gaze to his little brother's grinning face. "Seriously? I thought she was flirting like she does at the cabaret."

"Don't know about that, but I know she likes you." Soul smiled.

"Definitely." Maka added as she walked out, arms full of sheets and blankets. "She was actually talking about how much she wishes she had a nice man in her life that doesn't just want to screw her this morning."

"Huh."

"Think she found one, Wes?" Soul asked while assisting Maka in making up the couch bed.

"I dunno." Wes muttered, a faint smile on his lips.

"Just remember, she's a friend of ours and you answer to me if you hurt her." Soul flashed his sharp teeth at his brother for emphasis.

"I wouldn't dream of it. I try to be a gentleman you know." Wes replied indignantly.

"I know that. But she doesn't."

"Bed's all made. Feel free to stay as long as you like, Wes. I haven't seen her that happy in a long time." Maka smiled at him as she dragged Soul to his bedroom.

"I'll only be here for a few days. I just wanted to see Death City for a while." Wes replied, clearly confused by the rapid flurry of movement.

"Oh, and Wes." Maka called after shoving Soul into his-turned-their room.

"Yes?"

"She's a virgin." And the door closed.

Wes looked around the apartment and out the window overlooking the city. "I_ really_ like this town."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] I know that Blair usually wears her hat, but I'm pretty sure that she hides her ears under the hat. This is my take on it, so if you have a canon (i.e. from the anime) case where this is disproved, let me know.<strong>

**[2] A "ménage a trois" is a term for a relationship where three people have a sexual and emotional relationship. It's sometimes confused for a threesome where three people have sex. Ideally, a ménage a trois is a relationship where love is shared equally among the three and has no jealousy.**

**[3] The song is "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak. Take a listen sometime. Like REALLY soon.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: First of all, let me apologize for the incredibly long delay in getting this chapter out. I graduated from college just over a week ago, so I had to pack my entire life into a trailer and two cars. Before that, I had my final (yes, only one) and before that, two months of my life was devoted to a final assignment. to give you an idea of what the assignment was: I created a chat and file sharing program from scratch, written in Java and it literally drew on all of my knowledge that I had gained over my collegiate career.**

**Second, this chapter was tumbling around my head the ENTIRE time and I just now got the motivation and my muse was blowing just right and I managed to write it down.**

**Third, what do you think? Another incredibly surprising suggestion from "coolgirl" that made this chapter possible. She suggested that I have Blair and Wes get together. After some thought, I couldn't imagine it any other way and so here it is. Perhaps one more chapter will go towards this particular subplot, but it won't be as dominant as it was in this chapter.**

**Lastly, now that I'm done with college, my time will likely be composed of playing MW2, hunting for jobs and writing. Not all of my writing time will be directed at NtL, but I'm going to get my write on.**

**Double-lastly, the forum I made for people to talk and yell at me is still up and existant. Check it out if you want to talk to me about the story or yell at me for something: .net/forum/Apoc326s_Story_Discussions/106776/  
><strong>

**Later guys!**


	17. Aint' That a Kick in the Head

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 17 : Ain't That a Kick in the Head**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 7, Day 2<strong>

"Soul! Maka! Breakfast is ready!" Blair called through the bedroom door with a irritatingly loud knock.

Soul opened one eye and glared in the direction of the door. "When the hell did we get a mother?" He growled, the pillow his face was jammed into somewhat muffling his voice.

Maka's slurred and groggy reply took a minute to understand. "She's too damned perky now."

"No. Really? Hadn't noticed." Soul grunted as he sorrowfully parted company with their new bed and threw some clothes on.

The pregnant meister, however, resolutely lay in bed.

"Come on, Maka. Get up." Soul tried his best to sweeten his words. "Breakfaaaast."

"Don't wan' any." She batted away his hand from her shoulder.

"Get up or I'll start playing dirty." Soul warned.

"Try me."

The Death Scythe stood for a moment, staring at the lump in the covers that was his fiancé, trying to figure how to best get her out of bed. _Cold water is out, just makes the bed soggy. Promises of food didn't work. Sex isn't an option with Blair and Wes here. Stick my hands in the freezer for a few minutes? Nah, I like my skull intact. Oh. That's an idea._

Soul smirked to himself as he slipped back onto the bed, and knelt next to Maka. He placed both hands on what he assumed were her shoulders under the covers and began to give her a gentle neck rub.

"And how is this supposed to get me out of bed?"

"Don't worry about it." He assured her with his usual grin.

Slowly, Maka uncurled herself from the fetal position that she had adopted after her body heater had exited the bed. The neck rub expanded and Soul worked his strong hands and fingers up and down her back, gently loosening the tense muscles. The weapon nearly sniggered when his mesiter began to make low groans on delight as he worked his way down her back.

And then, the moment of treachery arrived.

In a single motion, Soul reached under Maka and lifted her off the bed, blankets and all. Struggling to keep hold of his kicking, screaming, squealing bundle, he slid off the bed and carried Maka bridal-style to the bedroom door. The commotion had caused Wes to open the door to see what was going on, which instantly fixed the problem of opening the door while holding onto Maka.

"I swear I will end you for this Soul Evans!" Maka screeched as she was set down onto a chair in the kitchen.

"Told you I'd play dirty." Soul said as he peeled open the covers over Maka's face, exposing her flushed face to the world. _She is going to kill me, but she's so damned cute when she's blushing like that._

"And I will get you back a million times over."

"You're up and at the table, aren't you?"

"I'm naked under the blanket, you jackass!" Suddenly Maka noticed Wes and Blair sitting at the table across from her, both trying very hard not to laugh hysterically. Instead of laughing, the two looked like they were having simultaneous seizures.

"That's why I didn't just grab you and carry you out here."

"And how am I supposed to eat, wrapped in a blanket?" She demanded.

"Very carefully." Soul's smile was starting to look more like a target to Maka.

"I _will_ get you back for this."

"I've got my will filled out. No worries. Black Star is my beneficiary though."

In a sudden, deadly instant, Maka's voice became sickly sweet. "Why Soul, darling, what makes you think that I'd _kill_ you?" The feigned hurt in her voice did nothing to stop the hairs raising on the back of Soul's neck. "There are so many things worse than death that could be done to you. Why, just a week ago I read a book on the Spanish Inquisition. There were some very… _inventive_ torture methods that were covered _in detail_."

Thankfully, the charade couldn't be kept up for long and Maka started to laugh hysterically. "You should see the look on your face!"

"You do that way too well. Where did you pick that up?" Soul asked, still not sure if he should be terrified or relieved.

"Medusa." Maka replied as she wiped a giddy tear from her eye.

The vague terror returned to Soul's face again. "And Stein finds that _attractive_? I nearly pissed myself!"

Maka shrugged and took a bite of a piece of toast.

"Soul?"

"Sup, Wes?"

"When you show me around the school, please, for the love of all things holy, unholy and in between, do not introduce me to that woman."

"I wouldn't worry. Nurse Medusa," Soul ignored his brother asking "Nurse?" in a terrified exclamation. "is fairly normal. Most of the time. Except when she wants to mess with your head. And she's a witch."

"Oh come on, witches aren't that bad." Blair interjected.

"When did you meet any witches? You aren't one yourself." Soul asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Back when the Kishin was released, I had a fight with the Mizune sisters."

"I remember. Not sure how that counts as them not being so bad. They kinda _attacked_ the city."

"Oh yeah… I was kinda busy."

Maka choked on her toast. "Yeah, groping each other! I heard about that for weeks!"

Wes spit out the coffee he was drinking. "What?" He managed between coughs.

"Uh… Well, it's a funny story, actually…"

* * *

><p>"When did my life become a bad sitcom?" Soul asked himself, sitting with his face down on the desk in front of him.<p>

"Stop whining. _You_ didn't get yanked out of bed and plunked down in front of your future brother-in-law and his girlfriend wearing only a blanket." Maka shot back over the top of her textbook.

"Trouble in paradise?" Liz asked teasingly from the row behind them.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Soul muttered. "My brother is staying with us for… a while? And he and Blair have this thing going on… its really freaking awkward."

"Thing? What kind of 'thing'?" Liz pressed, eager for some juicy information.

"Put it this way, when we go to bed, Wes is going to bed on the couch. When he wakes up, he's coming out of Blair's room." Maka answered without a trace of delicacy.

"Dude, your brother knows that Blair's a cat… right?" Black Star asked, the fuse for an explosive fit of laughter burning at the corner of his mouth.

"No idea. And honestly, what does it matter if he knows or not? Blair is who she is."

"Wow. Way to be mature and take the fun out of it." Black Star grumbled and sat back in his seat. "When did you start getting so damned mature?"

"What day is it?" Soul asked.

"Uh…"

"One month, three weeks and two days ago." Maka answered crisply.

"That's all?" Soul asked, tilting his head to look at his mesiter.

"How do you _know_ that?" Black Star nearly shouted. "And you answered right away! What the hell?"

Her reply was simply to slide her seat back a bit, turn towards the two boys and point at her stomach. After waiting for a moment for the hint to sink in, Maka wordlessly returned to reading the book.

"You know, I'm loving how everyone is moving along with their lives, but what is going on?" Liz asked.

"What do you mean?" Kid asked from beside her.

"Soul and Maka hook up, which we expected. Black Star and Tsubaki being less discrete, because it was kind of obvious. And then…" The elder Thompson sister trailed off for a moment, a deep red blush covering her face. "Us."

"While it's not uncommon for weapons and meisters to develop strong feelings for one another, its far less common for them to…" Now it was the young reaper's turn to blush, albeit only a little. "To be intimate. I'll agree."

"And all in just a few months." Liz added. "That's what's so weird."

"Love is contagious?" Tsubaki offered with a rosy tint to her cheeks.

The arrival of Professor Stein put an end to any further examination into their collective love lives. Since his feat of jumping over the seam between the hallway and classroom floor, Stein had failed to reproduce the flawless entry to the classroom. Once again, the mad scientist fell out of his chair and righted himself and began taking attendance as if nothing had happened.

"What's with him? He can jump onto Lord Death's dais but he can't manage a doorway more than once?" Soul whispered to Black Star.

"Dunno. I wonder how he handles the stairs, though."

"Woah."

"I know, right? I don't know how he does it."

"Determination and a lot of momentum. Now quiet you two, I'm taking attendance." Stein called to them. Stein's superhuman hearing and his cryptic answer were more than enough so silence the two.

* * *

><p>"That," Blair panted. "Was <em>amazing<em>." She turned her head on her pillow to look as Wes, lying on the bed next to her.

The elder Evans brother was already looking at her. He took a moment to drink in the face of his recently acquired lover. Her flushed, smiling face was beautiful... and the way that she still panted with her lips slightly parted. "I'll say." Wes grinned, inwardly wincing at how sadly unoriginal his reply was. Saying "So were you." would have been about as bad, but staying silent would likely be a bad idea as well.

_Screw it._ He thought and placed a gentle kiss on Blair's lips.

After parting from the kiss, their need to regain their breath shortening it, Wes lay on his back and pulled the nude form of his lover close to him.

A long silence filled the room. The two just listening to the sound of their partner breathing, Blair more focused on the steady rhythm of Wes' heartbeat within his muscled chest.

"Say... Wes..." Blair began, shattering the peaceful silence. Her unreadable tone making Wes' heart skip a beat then beat faster.

"Hm?" He asked, with his eyes closed, hiding the momentary jolt of panic under a cool facade.

"You're now... weirded out by me, are you?" Wes opened his eyes, looking into Blair's upturned face. Her expression was pleading, but for no reason that he could decipher.

"What... do you mean?" Mentally, he winced again. _Niiiice. Sound scared. Just what she needs right now._

"I mean... who I am..." Blair shifted her gaze, looking into the middle distance. "The fact that I am..." She choked on her words, tears welled in her eyes. "A cat." Her improbably large golden eyes begging him for... what?

Wes smiled and kissed her forehead with a soft chuckle. "You really think that I would have wanted to be anything more than friends if I had a problem with you? Let alone become your _lover_." The blush that ran to her cheeks was adorable, he thought. "I tend to live in the world of the esoteric; I see what things are beyond the surface. And whatever form you take, you're still you underneath it all." He punctuated his case with a soft, if awkward thanks to the angle, kiss on her lips.

Blair wrapped her arms around him and held on with all of her might, burying her face in his chest. Her body shook slightly as she silently cried a few tears of happiness. Never in Blair's wildest dreams would she have expected to hear such kind words from anyone, let alone a man such as Wes.

Taken aback by Blair's sudden shift of emotion, Wes lay shocked for a moment. He placed his hands on her shoulders and ran them both to the back of her neck, hugging her as best as he could, thanks to her position.

"I think Soul might have said it best to me one time. 'The form or shape don't matter, only the soul'. Though I may be misquoting." Wes said after a moment.

Blair looked up at him with a broad grin on her face. "He said that once."

"Oh?"

"Right after he ate one of my souls." Her grin grew even wider.

He stared blankly at her for a moment. "What?" He asked, deadpan.

"Yep. When they thought I was a witch, back when we first met."

"And you're totally fine, missing one of your nine lives?"

"Yep." Blair smiled, pulled herself even with his shoulder and lay her head on him. In a few moments, she was breathing shallowly, asleep on his arm.

Nonplussed, Wes stared at the ceiling. _Death city is really... odd. Life and death have entirely different meanings here. Not to mention was passes for normal. Christ on a cracker this place is interesting._ With no small smile, he looked at the sleeping woman on his arm. One of her ears twitched in her sleep, just like a cat. _And I am _so_ glad that I came here._

* * *

><p>"Stein is trying to break me. I swear he is." Soul whined as he took his helmet off.<p>

"You're just being a big baby." Maka scolded playfully. "He's just messing with you and you let him." She shook her hair out as she handed her helmet to Soul.

"But I mean, _how_! How does he handle stairs in that chair with just 'momentum and determination'? I don't freakin' get this!" Soul descending into hysterics, shouting 'why' and 'how' while clutching at his head as he tried to work it out.

Maka sighed and resisted the urge to hit her weapon with a Maka Chop. "He uses the service elevators."

The weapon stopped dead. "What?"

"I saw him one time. He uses the service elevators to go from floor to floor. That's how students in wheelchairs and with crutches get around. The DWMA _is_ ADA-compliant[1] after all."

"Huh?" Soul stared at her in disbelief and confusion. "So..."

"He was just messing with you. He cheats and makes dumb people think he ramps up the stairs or something." Maka sighed again in frustration. The urge to Chop Soul was growing stronger and stronger.

"You don't have to be so mean about it." Soul mumbled as her stinging words found their target.

_Awww. I went too far._ Maka thought to herself. A quick peck on the cheek of her lover went a long way to heal his bruised ego. "Sorry Soul. Just feeling a bit irritated today."

Soul smiled at his meister. "It's cool Maka." He sighed. "I just got a little caught up in trying to figure out Stein's puzzle."

"Don't worry about it, _darling._" Maka purred as she walked past him to the stairs, leaving Soul to stare blankly into the distance as he absorbed what she had said and the subtext of her words.

Soul shook his head to clear his thoughts and followed Maka up the stairs.

The kitchen was clean, Soul noticed as he and Maka took their shoes off at the door. The kitchen was always spotless nowadays, thanks to Maka fastidiously cleaning everything for reasons Soul wrote off to her pregnancy or Blair wanting to keep the apartment clean for Wes. It was also devoid of his brother and Blair, but sounds drifted back to them from the TV.

The weapon and Meister followed the sounds to the living room. Wes sat on the couch, his heels resting on the coffee table. He craned his head back to look at the returning members of the household and waved.

"Hey, little brother, Maka. How was school?" He wore the smile of a man content in every aspect of his life.

"Pretty good." Maka answered with a cheerful smile of her own.

"It was cool." Soul said easily.

"Welcome back." Blair said sleepily as she rose from her spot on the couch. She rubber her eyes and yawned. Apparently, she had been sleeping with her head in Wes' lap.

Soul shot a glance at Maka who returned it. The two smiled and then laughed.

Wes looked from his brother to Maka. "What'd I miss?"

"It finally happened, huh bro?" We asked with a knowing grin.

"What did?"

"You and Blair." Maka answered, her smile similar to Soul's. She looked at Blair who instantly turned an incredibly shade of red.

"I'm glad for you, Wes." Soul said in good-natured seriousness as he sat down in a chair in the living room. Maka followed him and sat in his lap, ignoring the other chair in the living room in favor of stealing body heat from her weapon. [2]

"Is it that obvious?" Wes asked, his cheeks slightly pink.

"Not really, but I know you. And I know Blair." Soul answered.

"The only time I've ever seen Blair sleep near someone else like that was... actually never." Maka explained, somewhat surprised by her own statement.

"Hold on," Wes began, pushing aside an upswell of pride in finding out Blair only acted like she did around him. "You're ok with this?" He looked at Soul as if expecting some anger or admonishment.

Soul laughed. "Dude, of course I am. Your my brother and I trust you to not wreck your life." He looked at Blair for a moment and then back to his brother. "And I think you two are good together."

Blair smiled at Soul's words. Her relationship with her roommate's brother had received what passed for a seal of approval. She hadn't expected Soul to be so... _cool_ about it. Then again, Scythie-Boy had changed a lot in the last month and a half.

"Thanks, Soul. That means a lot. I know you, Maka and Blair are roommates and I don't want to cause trouble at home for you-"

"That's not what I mean, bro." Soul cut Wes off.

"Soul meant with you and Blair and your life. It was hard living with Blair when she first moved in, but we worked it out. We can deal with any drama here." Maka finished for Soul. Her smile had an edge that told everyone that books and people's heads would be involved in solving household drama.

Wes reeled mentally. When had Soul superseded him the romance department. Sure he had Maka, but they had been together for less than two months. _Soul Resonance_. He thought inwardly. _Those two are connected to each others' souls twenty-four-seven. No wonder he's become the wise old man so quickly._

"Wes?" Blair asked, confused at his vacant look.

"Sorry." Wes smiled at her. "I was just thinking. Soul's just so much more... knowledgeable about this sort of thing than I am now." He looked at the couple sitting in the chair. "And I really envy you two, being connected like you are."

It was Soul's turn to blush. He exchanged a glance with Maka. "We are lucky." He said simply.

A peaceful silence had filled the room, leaving only the TV to create noise. Naturally, the living room's occupants let their attention drift to the magical box in the corner of the room, enjoying the bodily contact of their respective partners.

After a while, Maka got up and disappeared from view. The bathroom door closed a moment later. Soul watched her go, missing her before she was even out of sight. _When did I get like this?_ He asked himself with mental equivalent of a smile and shaking his head. _She's like water, food and air to me now. I... just _need_ Maka around to feel right._

Maka returned to the living room."Anyone else hungry?" She asked, stretching her back.

"Yep."

"Famished."

"I could go for some food."

"Alright." Maka said, straightening up. "What do we have to cook..." She walked off into the kitchen to check cabinets and see what ingredients were present.

"What about going out to eat?" We asked. "You've been feeding me for the better part of a week now. I can return the favor."

"Really?" Maka asked, peeking her head around the corner. "That would be awesome. I really don't feel like cooking."

"Where did you have in mind?" Soul asked Wes.

"There's a nice place downtown near the academy that I went to once when I was on a long layover flying to Los Angeles. I was thinking we could go there."

"Sounds good to me. I know to trust your taste." Soul grinned, anticipating the kind of food served at a restaurant that Wes called "nice".

* * *

><p>Soul stared at the menu in front of him, digging deep into the periphery of his childhood memories and calling forth his mother's French lessons. "You know, Wes, when most people say 'nice', they mean it has good food. 'Fancy' let's people know there's a dress code and they should have taken the Rosetta Stone intro course to French or Italian."<p>

"Oh come on, Soul." Maka smiled at him. "Wes is taking us out for a nice dinner. Don't whine like a little kid." Soul's slight curl of the lip didn't escape her. "Besides, that's not very cool." She whispered in his ear.

"Alright. I got it." The weapon smiled, baring his pointed teeth.

"Wes, what is this?" Blair asked, pointing at a dish with more accent marks over the letters than should be allowed by the Geneva Convention.

Wes pronounced the word perfectly and slowly so Blair could say it properly when she ordered and explained the dish. The ritual was repeated a few times as she continued searching the Menu for something that sounded appetizing.

Maka, ever the bookworm, had no trouble deciphering the text. She wasn't all that clear on the pronunciations, which she would occasionally ask Soul about.

The two couples gave their orders to the waiter, who played the role of French Waiter to the hilt, including the stuck up posture. The man retreated to the kitchen to deliver their orders and returned with their drinks. Being a fancy restaurant, soda wasn't even on the menu. Wes and Blair sipped a fine red wine that Wes loved. Being minors, Soul sipped on a virgin strawberry daiquiri, claiming that it was a "high-end slushy" and Maka enjoyed an iced tea.

The conversation was light, mostly consisting of Blair and Maka asking Wes about his work and all of the famous and talented people he met while touring the world. Soul listened aloofly, keenly feeling all of his old insecurities about being inferior to his older brother, but allowed himself to enjoy the tales Wes shared with everyone.

Maka was shifting in her sear occasionally, as if she were uncomfortable. She proably was, Soul thought. Her bust had increased more than either of them had realized and her evening dress was a bit too tight on her sensitive breasts. He fought down a smile as he recalled her dismay when getting dressed for dinner. She had been so cute when she was on the verge of freaking out. Thankfully, she had managed to calm down once she wriggled herself into the dress.

Maka and Blair laughed at one of Wes' jokes and the inner demons from Soul's past jealousies and hatreds of Wes resurfaced.

The conversation continued unabated, Wes being the center of attention.

Within the privacy of his own mind, Soul wrestled with his old demons.

**Maka sure seems interested, doesn't she? Wes is going to steal her from you.**

_Are you kidding me? Look closer. She's being polite. She keeps looking back at me and smiling, keeping me in the conversations with questions. That and she likes putting a word in edgewise in my favor._

Poof. The demon vanished. Another eagerly took its place.

**Oh my! He's so well-travelled. He's talking about performing in Italy and how he was there by the theatre's request. _You've_ never been asked to some foreign country to play for a sold-out audience.**

_So what? I've been to Italy. We fought Crona and Ragnarok there. Not to mention I got my bitchin' scar defending Maka and saving her life there._

Pop. The demon exploded into a cloud of nothing.

**He's played his violin in front of Maka almost every night this week. She's only heard you play once. Years ago, when you first met. And he's **_**so**_** much more talented than you are...** The demon smirked, drawing power from Soul's oldest and most sensitive insecurity.

_And your point is? I played once, Wes has played half a dozen times. If Maka would be swayed so easily by music and leave me for my brother, then she's not the woman that I love._

Snap. The demon crushed in on itself imploding under the weight of Soul's new confidence with a terrible, enraged scream.

"Soul?" Maka called to him.

"Huh?" Soul jumped, pulled from his inner battle.

"We asked what you wanted to do when we got home. You just sat there spacing out."

"Sorry, had my mind on some things." A covert squeeze of his hand under the table let him know that Maka knew. She had been a witness to at least some of his battle, her tender smile said that much at least. "I'm kinda thinking that bed might be good. We did a lot of sparring today."

"That's what I said."

"Aww..." Blair whimpered petulantly. "So no more music tonight."

Wes kissed her cheek. "I can play sometime tomorrow for you." He smiled.

Any response was cut off by the arrival of dinner. The waiter walked up, balancing the impossibly large tray on a single hand with the skill of a master, placing the dishes before their respective guest without once asking. Satisfied that he had performed his task with the dignity and professionalism that he prided himself in, the waiter bowed slightly and wished them a good meal.

Silence and the occasional word or two of approval of the food fell over the table as the group ate.

"Amazing." Maka breathed as she sat back in her plush chair.

"I told you it was good." We beamed, happy that his friends had approved of his choice fo restaurant.

"We has an talent for finding good food." Soul explained. "Kinda like Guy Fieri [3], except with fancy places all over the world."

Blair said nothing, Soul noted, but was almost visibly swooning at the man next to her. She was probably falling head over heels for him again and again during dinner as he told his stories.

* * *

><p>Soul and Maka bid their roommate and guest goodnight once they arrived home. In the darkness of Soul's bedroom, the two lovers undressed in silence.<p>

"You did well at dinner." Maka said pleasantly as she climbed into bed.

"What do you mean?" Soul asked as he slipped in bed next to her and pulled the covers over them to keep with fall chill at bay.

"Fighting your demons."

"You saw that?" Soul asked, with a tired smile that went unseen in the darkness.

"Of course. How could I _not_?" She chuckled softly. "We're always in Soul Resonance, so I heard the whole thing."

A neutral grunt was Soul's response.

"I... I liked what you said to the last one." Soul could practically feel Maka's blush as he snaked his arms around her, relishing in her contented sigh.

"It's true." Soul said simply. "Those guys were old news and I've grown up since they came around. I wasn't a Death Scythe then." He paused for a moment. "And I didn't have you then. Not like I do now." He kissed her tenderly behind her ear. A soft, happy moan left her lips.

"I just find myself getting more and more impressed by how much you've changed, Soul. You're just... so _cool_." Her smile was audible through her words.

"I've got you to thank, Maka." Soul's hand drifted down her body, careful to place only the slightest amount of pressure on her sensitive breasts, to her stomach. His hand played over her still flat stomach. "And Emi, of course."

Maka sighed, savoring his touch and snuggled herself closer to her weapon. "I love you, Soul."

Soul kissed the back of her head. "I love you too Maka."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] The American with Disabilities Act. Basically, mandates handicapped accommodation.<strong>

**[2] To all the men reading this, this is a warning and a cause for joy: women let men exist for the sole purpose of stealing out body heat. Revel in your lot in life.**

**[3] Host of "Diners Drive-ins & Dives" and accomplished chef. Do not watch his shows with an empty stomach or you'll try and eat the remote if no food is handy.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, I've got no real excuse for not writing in so long, especially since I've been graduated and home for over a month. Truth be told, I just didn't really _feel_ like writing lately. I did this chapter in chunks, sometimes a few paragraphs at a time. My job-hunting and general malaise about moving back home with my parents after graduation rather than to a job and my own place hasn't helped. That and the huge volume of games that I've been playing haven't helped.**

**Anyways, that's it for this chapter. It's some simple filler with a point behind it. I kinda liked the idea of Blair and Wes getting together. The restaurant bit kinda wrote itself, along with Soul fighting his inner demons. I'm doing my best to show character development while keeping it all... in _character_ if that makes any kind of sense.**

**Well, please continue to review and check out the forum that I made for discussion about the stories that I write. I'd love to get some more feedback and actually talk with some of you.**

**Again, sorry for the long delay. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me so damned long to write and post.**


	18. Found and Lost

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

**A/N: If you think of "Ichiban no takaramono" (Yui version) from Angel Beats! at any point in this chapter, I'm sorry. I started out the day listening to it and it influenced my whole freaking day.  
><strong>

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 18 : Found and Lost**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 4<strong>

"Why, Maka, are we looking at minivans?" Soul asked, weary of the monuments to lost bachelorhood that surrounded them. "I thought I said that I would never be seen dead in one, let alone owning one."

"Because." Maka said, walking between two of the offending vehicles, glancing at the paper in the window that boasted all of the features therein. "I like watching you squirm."

_Ah. Revenge for dragging her out to breakfast in the blanket. Still. Doubt I'll ever be allowed to forget that bit of spontaneity._ Soul thought to himself.

Giving up her little torture, Maka walked back into the main aisle of cars and moved off in the direction of the car dealership proper. Soul followed in her wake, with his hands clasped behind his head.

"Ooh." Soul murmured as he saw the outline of a sports car parked in front of the dealership.

"Don't even think about it." Maka chirped, killing his hope quickly.

"Aww, come on! That thing is _cool_ Maka. Way cooler than a stupid minivan." He pouted sullenly.

"Right. Which is why I agreed to our 'no minivans' rule. There are any number of other kinds of cars to pick from."

Soul jammed his hands into his pockets sullenly. "Yeah, but I doubt that _those_ are the best thing to roll out of Detroit since the 70s."

Maka laughed at that. "Soul, this is a family car, not something to look cool driving. You've still got your motorcycle for that."

The weapon relented. "Fine. Show me this uncool car you have in mind."

Maka shook her head as she heard the distant roar of the car's engine grow louder. _I knew he'd do it. I just knew it. But, I had some faith that he'd grown up across the board. How stupid of me to think that he'd do anything _but_ peel out in the dealership and tear off before the salesman could bail._

Tires screamed in protest as Soul managed a ninety degree turn from the road to the dealership at irresponsible speeds. He coasted the vehicle to a stop in front of his fiancé and rolled down the window.

"Sold!" He grinned.

The salesman managed to open his door and flop onto the pavement, kissing it. Glad to be alive. "I'll start the paperwork." He managed before walking to his safe, immobile desk on wobbly legs.

* * *

><p>"You're an ass, Soul." Maka grumbled from the couch.<p>

"What?" The weapon asked, confused, as he set the keys to his motorcycle on the kitchen counter.

"You terrified that man so much that he practically threw the car at us. I don't know if he'd even make his commission for how cheap he sold it to us."

"You liked the car. I wanted to see what it could do. He _said_ he'd go out with me." Soul faltered seeing Maka's barely contained fury as he entered the living room. "I just wanted to know how fast it was." He added defensively.

"Right." Maka scolded and turned back to the TV.

"You know, I wasn't the one to make it home first. We left at the same time. I can't help but wonder how you beat me home with enough time to change into pajamas and sit down on the couch." A smirk crept onto Soul's lips. _She broke every speed law coming home in that car. I have a chance._

Instantly a red glow crept up the back of Maka's neck. It was likely on her face as well, but she was too embarrassed to face her weapon just then. Especially when he called her on her own poor driving conduct.

Sensing an opportunity, Soul knelt behind the couch and his meister and wrapped his arms around her. "Admit it. You like how fast that 'family car' can go and you had your fun with it on the way home." He whispered in her ear.

Trying to keep her lost dignity, Maka put her nose up in the air haughtily. "So what if I did?"

Soul placed a hand on her exquisitely exposed throat and kissed the side of her neck. "That makes you a very naughty girl." He whispered, forcing every ounce of sexuality that he could into his voice. Her blush deepened and a small shudder ran through her body in response.

_Two can play this game._ Maka lowered her chin nearly to her chest and put on her best facade of innocence. "So what are you going to do?" She asked, turning to face him, giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes that she could.

To his credit, Soul recovered quickly from seeing two jade orbs filled with lust staring back at him. "Well, you'll need to be punished." He pressed his lips to her ever-so-slightly pouting ones and gently moved his hands to her breasts, careful of how tender they had become.

Soul nearly died twice when a heavy knock sounded from the front door. The first time was from the surprise-induced heart attack and his brain's momentary confusion over where to send the blood in Soul's body. The second time was when his hands closed reflexively. Only a fraction of an inch from clamping his hands on Maka's sensitive breasts. He never would have survived what she would have done to him.

"I'll get it." Soul mumbled, as he marshaled himself to calm down after the shot of adrenaline to his system. "Coming!" He called to whomever was outside the door.

"What can I help... you... with?" Maka heard Soul's voice trail off as the door opened. Then she felt Soul's influx of emotions of their soul resonance. He was terrified, panicked and fighting the urge not to soil his pants.

An unfamiliar voice boomed from the front door. "Is that how you greet your father?"

Konstatin Evans was at the door.

* * *

><p>Panic. Sheer, total panic.<p>

To the outside world, Soul Evans calmly opened the front door all the way and said "Hey Dad. Didn't know you were coming to town. Come on in. Want something to drink?"

Inwardly, Soul screamed and shouted and gibbered to himself, running in circles and clawing at the walls.

"Hello." Maka greeted her future father-in-law with a demure smile as she entered the kitchen from the living room.

Instantly, Soul's inner panic stalled, like the eye of a hurricane.

Soul's father turned to see who had greeted him. Time seemingly stood still as he studied Maka in wordless appraisal. Maka simply stared back at him with her smile trying desperately to run away.

Konstatin was a bear of a man. He stood at six feet two inches easily and was built like a middleweight boxer. His musculature was largely concealed by his incredibly expensive, yet impossibly wrinkle-free suit, but there was no hiding the fact that the man could pick up a normal man and break him over his knee.

His coal-black hair was clipped short, resembling a military crew up let to grow out for a month or so. A neatly trimmed beard covered his square jaw.

Amidst all that Konstatin Evans presented to an observer, the most striking features of the man were his eyes. Two gleaming chips of ice rested where most people kept their irises. Maka had read about "piercing eyes" and "intense gazes" in many books, but never before had she seen eyes that could not only look through her, but into the depths of her soul and make her entire being feel like it had been frozen in place.

Maka stared in wonder at the human contradiction standing before her. In spite of his outright terrifying appearance, Konstatin was impeccably groomed with nary a hair out of place nor a speck on his clothing. His stance nor posture were in any way threatening. He was merely a large man who looked very much out of place in their very average apartment.

"You must be Maka Albarn." Konstatin said after he finished examining her. His voice was a deep baritone that washed over her as smoothly as any cliché comparison to chocolate could be and carried the faintest tinge of Russian in his accent. [1]

"Y-yes." Maka confirmed. She exerted all of her might to stop that from turning into a question.

"It is good to finally meet you." He held out his hand for hers, though his palm was upturned.

"And it's good to meet you too." Hesitantly Maka placed her hand within his and realized how delicate his hands were. Strong to be sure, but gentle as well.

Without a word, Konstatin bowed his head, raised her hand to his lips and kissed the top of her hand in the tradition of gentlemen of an era long past.

"Now, let us dispense with formalities, yes?" Konstatin said as he released her hand. The faintest movement at the corners of his mouth and a glint of his eye told Maka that she had passed some very important test.

Soul released a breath that he hadn't known he was holding. He smiled slightly at Maka from behind his father. He nearly choked on his tongue when he inhaled sharply.

Konstatine leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Maka in a true bear hug. "Welcome to the family, Maka. I am glad to see that such a fine woman has taken pity on my son."

The confused meister did her best to hide a surprised squeak that escaped her lips as the powerful arms wrapped around her. She was shocked and relieved when she realized that she wasn't going to be crushed and that this was indeed a giant who knew his own strength.

"Thank you." Maka released a ball of tension that had knotted in her stomach and returned the hug with all of her strength.

"I suppose you two are wondering why I am here." Konstatin said after he released Maka from the embrace and pulled a chair from the kitchen table for her before sitting down himself.

"I was actually kind of surprised." Soul said as he faced the pantry, looking for some tea that his father would like. He tried not to let the enormity of his understatement get the better of him.

_Dad moves like a glacier. He takes time to do things, but when he does, be ready, because he's not stopping. Don't rush him or he'll get mad and I don't want that right now. Especially not in front of Maka._

"What kind of tea would you like, Dad?"

"Earl Grey, if you have it."

"Always." Soul grinned, suddenly glad he had acquired a taste for the stuff some time ago. "I've got Russian Caravan, too."

"You have learned a lot about good beverages since you left home. I will have that."

Maka could actually feel the pride radiating from Soul as he set about putting a kettle on the stove. _How bad were things when he was growing up that being told he has good taste in tea does this to him?_ Maka wondered in mild shock.

"Want anything in it?" Soul asked before committing to sitting down.

"Sugar."

Soul turned around, grabbed the sugar container from the countertop and a small spoon and sat down, placing the two items in the center of the table. He sat, with his hands clasped on the table in front of him, looking into the middle distance between Maka and his father.

In all her time knowing Soul, Maka had never once seen him act like this. He was almost acting like a butler from TV. All he needed to do to complete the act was to refer to Konstatin as "sir".

"As I was saying. I have come to visit you two in order to see for myself how well you two get along. Jennifer has made it ever so clear to me that I will not be able to stop a marriage between you two, nor interfere with how you two lead your lives." Konstatin slowly looked from Maka to Soul and back again as he spoke slowly and methodically.

Maka noted how tactfully Soul's father sidestepped just _who_ would impede him from ending their future marriage. Jen must be every bit as fierce as Soul had made her out to be for her to be able to make Konstatin resign himself to accepting the situation.

"From everything that I have been told about you, Maka, you are a perfect woman for Soul. I am glad that you two have a stable life both at home and at school. Jen spoke in the highest respect for you, not only in how you conduct yourself, but how you deal with Soul."

Out of the corner of her eye, Maka saw soul tense. He was bracing for something.

"I know that Soul can be difficult sometimes. When he lived with us, life could be very difficult at times." Konstatin paused and swallowed. "And for you to have found a way to lead a normal life with him speaks volumes of your character. I admit that I am envious of this."

_That_ was a surprise. _What is he getting at?_ Maka wondered. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what Konstatin was building up to.

"While I may have my own misgivings about a young man and woman living together prior to marriage, and the conception of a child out of wedlock," He paused again. "I am going to keep an open mind. As I've been reminded repeatedly, things have changed much since I was young and things are done differently now. Especially in this country." Konstatin sat back, clasping his hands together, clearly having spoken his piece.

_Ah. So _that's_ what it is. Jen, I love you._

"How long are you going to be in Death City?" Maka asked tentatively after a moment.

"I am on my way to Los Angeles for a concert. Jennifer suggested that I take a short layover in Death City to see you two. I will be leaving in a few hours to continue my trip."

"Oh." Maka said, unsure of what to say. The man was harder to read than a blank wall.

Konstatin smiled. "Don't worry, Maka. I do not intend to impinge on you and Soul's life. I am... painfully aware that I am a difficult man to be around." An emotion passed across his face far too quickly for Maka to understand what it was.

Maka smiled brightly. "I don't think so."

A laugh like a distant roll of thunder resounded in the large man's chest. "You are too kind, my dear. I have no allusions about my social skills, or lack thereof, and I merely wish to convey to you that, despite my own convictions, I am willing to put that aside for the sake of my son's happiness."

Soul looked up and stared at his father for a long moment. "...Dad." The single syllable carried layers of meaning that Maka wasn't fully able to comprehend.

Konstatin returned the look from his son, the ghost of a smile visible on his lips. "It is not every day that your youngest son finds a woman that truly makes him happy. I may be a stubborn man, and that has no doubt been a cause of our... difficult relations, I am not so stubborn to deny my son life's greatest joys."

Soul actually looked ready to cry. This simple confession having been the only time in his life that his father admitted that he may have been wrong. And the fact that he was aware that Soul's relationship with Maka was the single most important thing to Soul... It was indeed too much to handle.

Before Soul could reply, the tea kettle on the stove began to whistle softly. By the time he got up and pulled it from the stove, the water was boiling and ready to be made into tea. He poured the water into three cups, placed the tea bags in them and brought them to the table.

A strange silence settled over them as they each tended to their drinks. Konstatin spooned sugar into his tea and stirred it. Soul merely stared into the darkening liquid before him, his thoughts known only to himself. Maka glanced back and forth between the father and son while absently lifting and dunking her teabag.

"So... How is the baby coming along?" Konstatin asked after a sip of his tea. He seemed very much out of his element.

Maka smiled softly. "She's doing alright. It's only been a few weeks, but it seems like it's been months. [2] I'm just doing what I can."

"That is good to hear." Konstatin smiled. "Jennifer told me that she had given you some direction. I think that she is as eager to have a granddaughter as you are to have a daughter."

Maka smiled again. "I can't wait to see Jen again. She was a huge help. There's only so much you can learn from a book. Hearing things from someone who's been through it is great. Though, I could ask my mom, but... that would be a bit awkward." The faintest blush covered her cheeks.

The large man nodded with a chuckle. "And what about you, Soul? How are you taking becoming a papa?" A small glint of amusement lit his eye.

"It's kind of like hearing a hurricane is coming. I can only do so much to get ready."

The Death Scythe jumped when Konstatin's laugh boomed into the room. "Well said, my son. That is about how I felt when Wes was on the way. I had no idea what to do and it was all I could do not to run out of the house screaming sometimes." He saluted Soul with his tea cup.

Soul stared at his father for a moment before his face broke into a grin. "I'm just glad I'm not the only one."

Another laugh from his father. "You think you are the first man to be terrified that he is going to be a father? You would be shocked, Soul. If you ever need someone to talk you down from doing something silly... I will be happy to help." The offer was made tentatively, held out to Soul at arm's length. He almost sounded sheepish.

"I just might take you up on that, Dad."

The icy tension between father and son began to thaw. Every so slowly, but it was easing up. The three talked and the time passed unheeded.

* * *

><p>"Well, Soul, Maka, it has been great talking with you. However, my time here is up. I must get back to the airport for my flight." Konstatin stood, stretching out his back.<p>

"We can give you a ride." Maka offered.

"That would be very kind of you. But I asked the taxi company to send a cab for me right around now. I did not want to impose on you more than I already was by showing up without any warning."

The trio walked to the door, Konstatin leading the way. "Thank you again for the tea. It has been a long time since I had tea that wasn't brewed by a waiter who does not know the first thing about good tea. I'm glad you cultivated an interest in it, Soul." He smiled at his son who smiled in return.

"It was good finally meeting you, Maka." Kostatin said as he embraced the meister once more.

"Likewise." She said, returning the hug.

After releasing Maka, Konstatin placed both of his hands on Soul's shoulders. "Soul, you have grown into such a fine young man. My fears were ill founded and you have proven me wrong on every count." Suddenly, Soul was in the embrace of his father. "And I am so proud of you."

Stunned, Soul returned the embrace. "Thanks, Dad. That means... a lot."

The Kodak Moment was interrupted by a car horn blaring from the street below.

"That is my cab." Konstatin said, releasing his son. "I hope to hear from you too soon. Before I go, though, I have something for you." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two envelopes and handed one to each of them. Soul's had his name written in Konstatin's elegant handwriting, the other had Maka's name.

"Thank you." They both said, somewhat nonplussed.

"I will talk to you soon." Konstatin said as he opened the door.

"Have a safe trip." Maka said, looking from the envelope to him.

"Dad." Soul called as the door began to close. He held it open.

"Yes?"

"I love you. Have a safe trip."

Konstatin looked taken aback. "Thanks, Soul. I love you too."

And then he was gone. Down the stairs to the waiting taxi.

"What do you think these are?" Maka asked as they walked back to the living room.

"Dunno." Soul said as he sat down in a chair, leaving the couch to Maka.

In silence, the two opened the envelopes and pulled out a letter.

Maka's letter was handwritten. A true novelty in the day and age of word processing programs. She read it in silence, taking a moment to acquaint herself with Konstatin's handwriting.

_Maka,_

_Jen told me so much about you. I had to meet you for myself to believe what she told me. The simple fact that you are reading this means that you are indeed everything that my wife told me about you and more._

_I'm sure that Soul has told you about my more old fashioned views on marriage. Jen did everything in her power to make me see that things are vastly different nowadays. I spent a lot of time thinking about this. I decided that the happiness of my son and that of the woman who chose him is more important than my own petty feelings._

_While I am not the most expressive man, I wish for nothing but joy and happiness for you two and your child. I love my son with all of my heart, though I have never been good at showing it. I am overjoyed that you love him and that you are more capable than I ever will be at showing that to him._

_I have never gotten along well with Soul. I know that he hates me for it. But I cannot fault him for it either. I was never able to tell him in forthright words my feelings for him and I tried to show him that I cared by pushing him to do more and better all his life. I know now how that can be seen from the other side and it fills my heart with pain to think that I tormented him so. My visit to you was an attempt to show him that I am indeed proud of the man he has become and the woman who loves him._

_Soul is not the easiest man to live with, that I know. But you know this too. While it has been custom for hundreds of years for the father of the bride to give his daughter to the groom with the hopes of him treating her well and giving her happiness, I now ask you to take the best care of my son. While he is a man, he will never stop being my son, nor shall I ever stop loving him. It is my dearest wish that you do the same._

_No matter how hard the world may make life, I know in my heart, that you two will be able to overcome any hardship. Jen and Wes have told me of the special bond that you two share, and I know that bond and your child will see you through all the hardships that come your way._

_I wish you the best possible life with Soul,_

_Konstatin_

Maka reread the letter two more times. Unbelieving. How had the man who seemed to have all the emotional capacity of a boulder been able to pen such a note? It positively brimmed with every single feeling that Konstatin had possessed.

The emotions on the page cut her to the bone. The raw feeling of the words reaching her and imparting themselves.

She had to sniffle a little to stop herself from crying.

"Soul, what did yours-" She looked up at her weapon and stopped.

Tears streamed freely down Soul's face. He wore an expression somewhere between smiling and the greatest pain possible to be felt by the human heart.

Maka watched, shocked beyond words, as Soul shifted the papers in his hands and read the second page. His eyes tracked back and forth across the page, refusing to give in and let his barely contained emotions out until he finished reading.

Indeed, it wasn't until Soul had read the letter three more times that he finally folded it up, placed it back into the envelope and cried.

Maka rose and walked over to his chair, seating herself on the arm and held his head as he cried. "Like a baby" may have been an apt comparison, insomuch as a man can cry his eyes out as he released nearly two decades of resentment for a man.

"That son of a bitch." Soul finally grumbled into Maka's chest.

"What?" She couldn't believe what she heard.

"Making me cry like this. That bastard." His words had no sting to them. It was almost as if he were in awe of his father's emotional hold over him.

Maka held Soul, petting his head and letting him release all of his anguish. At some point the sun had gone down and the hour had grown late. Gently, she coaxed him from his seat and guided him to bed. She helped him disrobe and then he helped her, placing grateful kisses on her face and cheeks in the dark.

They crawled into bed and he held her as always. His embrace had more need in it that the usual, easy way he held her at night. He buried his face in the nape of her neck and whispered a renewal of his undying love for her.

Only after his breathing evened out and he fell asleep did Maka permit herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>The shrill ringing of a phone awoke them both. It was still dark outside and the bedside clock read four in the morning.<p>

"Tha' hell is callin' _now_?" Soul grumbled. His flailing hand finally found the phone and he answered it. "'ello?"

The distant, tinny voice barely reached Maka's ears. She waited in sleepy silence to find out who had called them in the middle of the night.

Soul stiffened. "What." His voice was flat.

More talking on the other end.

Soul was suddenly standing, holding the phone close to his ear. "_What?_" He practically shouted. "_When? Where?_"

The voice was louder now.

The phone dropped from Soul's to the floor.

"What is it?" Maka asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Dad... His plane... They can't find it."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] And once more, ladies and Gentlemen, Konstatin Evans. You can thank Maka67, a.k.a. Coolgirl, for this one. I do owe her a bit now, don't I?<strong>

**I've read a few stories that deal with Soul's dad, and none of them ever really lived up to my expectations. I personally think the only kind of personality that Soul would seriously come to resent would be a cold, disapproving one that is backed up by serious physical size.**

**I'm not sure if I modeled Konstatin after anyone, consciously or not. He seems to be a bit of a mixture of all the great literary fathers that I've ever seen.**

**[2] I'm _sorry_ Maka. I told you. Jeez.**

**A/N:Well, there's my newest chapter. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get it written. I moved to a new city and life has been a bit chaotic.  
><strong>

**So, I decided to bring Konstatin Evans into the story, finally. And you can thank Maka67 for the idea. The chapter is a bit long for one consisting solely of talking, but I'm honestly happy with it. Writing his letter to Maka was a heartbreaking experience. It was only while writing that did I have the idea that he might not come back. That does have a very large "might" in front of that. I have nowhere near decided on if Konstatin died in a plane crash or if he's in the mountains somewhere. Only time, my muse and YOUR SUGGESTIONS will tell.  
><strong>


	19. Bad Trip, Man

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 19 : Bad Trip, Man**

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

How long had he been here? _Where_ was here, exactly? How had he gotten here? Wherever here was, anyways... He forced himself to try and remember the last thing that he could.

_"Miss, could I have another glass of wine?"_

_The flight attendant smiled, clearly pleased with courtesy and respect coming from a modern airline passenger. "Certainly, Mr. Evans."_

_The man laughed. "Konstatin, please. I do not like formalities."_

_The attendant's smile broadened a little. "Right away, Konstatin."_

_The attractive woman in her mid thirties took the wine glass from him and walked to the front of the first class cabin and began to go about filling the wine glass._

_Konstatin reclined his rather luxurious seat, closed his eyes and sighed. His visit with his son and future daughter-in-law had gone well. He had feared Soul would greet him with hostility or even refuse to let him in. His side trip to Death City would have his manager in conniptions, but that was a small price to pay to begin reconciliation with his youngest son._

_A young woman walking up the aisle next to him and bumped his arm, jarring Konstatin from his private reverie. _Rude girl. She didn't even apologize._ The girl continued walking up to the door of the flight deck._

_Konstatin absently noted the girl's visible features. She was tall, nearly six feet or so. Her long midnight black hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, ending just above her backside. She wore what looked to be something akin to a schoolgirl's outfit; a while shirt and a, to Konstatin's conservative eye, far too short plaid skirt._

_Konstatin shrugged mentally and situated himself again, closing his eyes in the hopes of catching some sleep._

_"Miss? You can't be up here. The restrooms here are for first class passengers only. You'll have to-"_

_"I'm well aware of airline policy." The girl replied in a sweet, melodic voice._

_"Then why are you-" A soft thump was audible. _Probably some turbulence. _He thought to himself._

_A moment later, the door to the flight deck opened and closed quietly._

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 5<strong>

Soul sat quietly in the passenger seat of their new car. Maka spared a glance at him as she drove to the DWMA. Soul sat with his arms at his sides, his mouth slightly open and a his eyes blankly staring, unseeing. He had been like that ever since he spoke to her upon hearing about his father's plane disappearing.

A few moments later, Maka's phone had gone off. After a short and curt conversation with Kid, all Maka knew was that the top teams were being summoned to the DWMA. Only a few times prior had Kid ever acted like that on the phone, and all but one of those calls had preceded a major mission.

_A missing plane full of people and a summons from the school ten minutes apart. I wish I were being cynical, but the two things are related._ Maka thought to herself as she added some weight to the accelerator and sped the car along the dark streets of Death City.

Ahead the school loomed, well-lit like a beacon. The school never slept. Students working late, teachers staying after hours, and all of the personnel working the night shift. The DWMA occupied a very strange niche as an organization. Part school, part intelligence organization and part paramilitary institution, with all of the daily operations and staff for each role.

The parking lot off on one side of the school was mostly deserted, affording them a good parking spot. Maka put the car in park and killed the engine. She took a deep breath and looked at her partner.

"Soul, honey. We're here." She spoke as if talking to a frightened child.

Catatonia was her only response.

Maka unbelted herself and exited the car. Sighing in exasperation and desperation as she closed the door. She walked around the vehicle and opened the passenger door. She removed the Scythe's seat belt and coaxed him from the car, half dragging him.

Soul was at least able to walk in his state. He let Maka lead him by the hand up the steps and through the doorway of the school.

Kid stood waiting inside the grand entrance, bracketed by the stairs up to the second floor. From his posture, hands jammed into his pockets and foot tapping, he had been waiting. "There you are. Everyone else is alread..." He began. "What's wrong with Soul?"

"His father's plane is missing." Maka said, not elaborating on her cryptic response. Her expression said that she would discuss it later.

Rather than express a token amount of sympathy or support for his friend, Kid made a small grunting noise after staring at Soul's vacant face for a moment. "Follow me."

Maka led Soul through the halls of the DWMA and into Lord Death's office. As the passed under the guillotine-_tori_ that arched over the walkway into the inner chamber of the school's headmaster, the only sounds were those of their footsteps.

"Ah good. Everyone is here now." Lord Death said by way of greeting to the newcomers. Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz and Patty were standing or sitting around the raised platform the Lord Death habitually occupied. Stein stood next to him, smoke trailing lazily from a lit cigarette. "Hm... What seems to be the matter with So-"

"Soul! Buddy! How's it going?" Black Star jumped up from the floor where he had been sitting to greet his friend. For a moment, the ninja looked incredibly foolish holding his hand out for a fist bump, yet receiving none from his friend. "Uh... Maka? What's up with Soul?"

"His dad's plane is missing. We got the call right before Kid called."

Their friends made various sounds of shock or surprise. That kind of news tends to shock for a few seconds before any kind of appropriate response or consolation can be made. It was in this time that Lord Death spoke.

"Oh my... That complicates matters quite a lot." He stood, looking as thoughtful as one without a face capable of much expression could. It took the Reaper a moment to realize that everyone was staring at him, expecting an explanation.

"You see, we have very good reason to believe that a witch has hijacked a plane full of people and forced it to land at an abandoned airstrip in the mountains. The flight left Death City a few hours ago and then disappeared shortly after entering the Rocky Mountains. A government agency contacted us after they went over the last few transmissions from the plane. A woman calling herself "Circe" claimed to have taken over the plane..."

The Reaper paused a moment, and let the assembled weapons and meisters voice their feelings of dismay or surprise. "Another government agency was able to track the signals coming from the cell phones of passengers who didn't turn their phones off for a bit before cell coverage became too spotty. We've found only one place that plane could land."

Lord Death's voice grew even more serious. "I don't need to tell you what a witch kidnapping innocent people means. Circe no doubt has some evil plan and those passengers will not be coming out unharmed unless we do something about it. We don't have much time, though. Stein?"

The professor took a drag on his cigarette and stepped forward. "Alright. You're going to take a flight of your own. A helicopter is going it pick you up from the roof of the school as soon as you're ready to go. It will fly you most of the way to the airfield we think that the witch landed the plane at. You'll have to walk the rest of the way. Once you're there, you defeat the witch and a rescue team will arrive to help the passengers. Any questions?"

"Do we know if the witch has anyone helping her?" Tsubaki asked.

"We have no idea. A passenger or passengers might actually be helping her or even be pre-Kishin minions of hers."

"Who is in charge?" Black Star asked. His usual enthusiasm tempered knowing that a planeload of innocent people were depending on them.

"Kid will be in charge, if it comes down to it. You all work well enough together."

Liz raised her hand.

"Yes?" Stein asked, quirking an eyebrow at the classroom-like behavior.

"What about Soul?" She asked, looking somewhat worriedly at the weapon.

"Hm..." Stein leaned back and thought for a moment, absently turning the screw in his head. "Maka?"

"He... he hasn't said a word since he hung up with whoever called him. I even had to get him dressed..." She looked into the unseeing eyes of her weapon.

"Lord Death?" Stein asked, looking over his shoulder at the Reaper.

"I think it might be best if he sits this one out. You too, Maka. I can't send you on a mission with a weapon who isn't all here."

Maka looked torn, but nodded.

"Right, the weather is cold in the mountains. Everyone grab some winter gear before you head up to meet the-" Stein was interrupted as he wrapped up their mission briefing.

"I'll go."

All eyes shifted to the Death Scythe standing next to Maka.

"Soul?" Lord Death asked.

"I said I'll go." His voice sounded more like a croak. Slowly, some life returned to his eyes and he gradually stood up straight. "I want to go. My dad is there."

"Are you sure you'll be able to-"

"I said I'd go, alright! I won't sit back here while my dad gets fed to some Kishin wannabe!" Soul's shout echoed around the room a few times, deafening in the silence.

The Reaper recoiled as if struck. "Very well."

"Alright everyone. Grab winter clothes from the equipment room and head up stairs." Stein finished his interrupted words from before.

Hesitantly, the weapons and meisters began to leave, not sure if Lord Death would change his mind.

"Maka? Could I talk to you?" Lord Death asked quietly as she turned to follow Soul, now walking quickly and with purpose back under the stylized tori.

"Uh... sure."

The Reaper approached her slowly, watching Soul's retreating back. "I want you to keep a close eye on Soul. I know you two have been through so much together... but that... _conviction_ he just showed has me worried. You're the mesiter, you control him in a fight. Just... make sure he doesn't do anything foolish, alright?"

The meister stared at him for a moment then smiled. "Of course I will. I won't let him be an idiot. I promise."

Lord Death brightened. "Good! Good! Now go make sure he gets the right gear and doesn't freeze out there!" He made little shoo-ing gestures.

Stein walked up beside the headmaster of the DWMA. "You really think he'll be alright?"

"Hmm..." The Reaper paused meditatively. "Not a clue."

Stein explosively exhaled a plume of smoke and coughed spasmodically.

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

Jesus. How long had he been here? He focused on his hearing. The pitch black darkness made looking around useless. He could hear only wind blowing furiously somewhere in the distance. Not a whole lot of help really. He tried to recall more of what had happened.

_A few moments after the door to the flick deck closed, the plan lurched to the right and up. A few startled shouts and screams came from the passengers. Veteran travelers merely wiped up their drinks and went back to reading or their laptops. It was just turbulence after all._

_The intercom chimed a few moments later. A young woman's voice came over the speakers, sounding for all the world like a little kid having fun doing something they weren't allowed to do. "This is your _new_ captain speaking. I just wanted to let you all know that we're going to be making an unscheduled landing in the mountains in a few minutes. Won't that be fun?" The "captain" giggled for a few seconds until the intercom shut off._

_Dead silence filled the plane._

_That wasn't the voice of the pilot who had given the usual check-in when they were taxiing for takeoff. She sounded way too young._

That was the voice of the woman who went up to the front of the cabin..._ Konstatin inclined his seat, unbuckled himself and strode to the front of the plane. He could still see the legs of the flight attendant who'd gone to get him his glass of wine. She looked to be sitting in one of the special seats for the aircrew._

_As he approached the woman, something felt... _off_. She didn't look like she was sitting, but reclining, her legs stretched out in front of her._

_When he rounded the corner, the woman was clearly not lounging. Her eyes were open and her head was lolling off to one side, drool running from her mouth. Fearing the worst, he checked her pulse and was somewhat shocked that it was strong and steady._

_"What the devil..." He whispered quietly._

_"Daddy... I wanna ride the ponies again... No... Don't take me to see those stinky piggies... I wanna ride the ponies." The flight attendant seemed dazed. Like she'd been struck on the head._

_"What's going on?" A man asked, walking up next to Konstatin. "Jesus Christ! Is she dead?" A chorus of gasps came from the passengers nearby._

_Konstatin closed his eyes tightly. The man's stupidity and lack of tact caused a moment's blinding pain._

_"No. She is _not_ dead. She seems ill or injured." Konstatin made sure that his voice carried far enough to reach the ears of anyone who had heard the moron._

_"What should we do? Are you a doctor?" The man was nearly panicking now._

_"No, I am not. We should find one. And calm down. There are still several other attendants who can help us."_

_"Oh... yeah..." The man paused, letting this nugget of knowledge sink in. He clearly had fantasies of being in his own terror movie. The man turned and faced the rest of the plane. "Is anyone a doctor?" The man called to literally everyone on the plane._

_Konstatin stood and whirled on the man and whispered furiously to him. "Are you _trying_ to cause a panic, you dolt? You do _not_ shout things like 'dead' and 'need a doctor' on a plane filled with easily frightened people!"_

_The color drained from the dimwit's face. "Sorry..."_

_"Go sit down and let someone who knows how to handle a situation without causing a panic put the right people in charge." Konstatin growled._

_"And what makes you think you've got this one, Ivan?" The moron was clearly a _king_ among morons to be picking a fight at a time like this._

_"I have a brain between my ears." Konstatin grumbled._

_"What was that buddy?" The man said, standing in the aisle next to his seat._

_Konstatin walked up to the man and put a hand on his shoulder, painfully forcing the man to sit down. "Sit _down_, and shut _up_ while I get an attendant. We can talk about this once we've landed."_

_The man buckled himself and called over his shoulder. "Oh you _better _believe we'll 'have words' when this is over, Ivan."_

_Konstatin ignored the twit as he walked to the back of the plane and caught the attention of another attendant. Quickly, he whispered the story to the attendant, who in a mark of his professionalism didn't react and followed Konstatin to the front of the plane._

_Halfway to the front of the plane, a sudden sensation of weightlessness overcame Konstatin. He looked down and realized he was _floating_. The damned plane was _falling_, giving him a taste of zero gravity. The term "freefall" used to describe weightlessness made a horrifying kind of sense._

_Above the screams of terror from the passengers, the intercom came alive again. The woman's voice was back and filled with glee. "Weee! Isn't this fun, everyone?"_

_The plane leveled out and forced Konstatin and the attendant to smash into the floor as gravity returned._

_"Let's do that _again!_" The intercom screeched with delight._

_This time they were falling faster than freefall. The ceiling rose up to meet Konstatin and the attendant. Hard. Blackness followed._

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 5<strong>

Silence reigned like a king over the passenger compartment of the commercial helicopter. The high pitched whine of the engine and rotor blades scarcely penetrated the soundproofed cabin, and the silence seemed all the more profound.

Soul sat next to Maka, wearing an expedition-quality winter parka and brooding. His eyes were fixed on the floor in front of him and filled with an intensity that was trying to make the carpet smolder.

The other occupants were either trying to sleep or were awkwardly glancing around. It seemed like inviting death to say anything, lest they attract Soul's attention. And his wrath.

The determination he had displayed in Lord Death's office had slowly morphed into a palpable rage as the flight went on.

Kid, with his heightened senses, could actually _see_ the fury radiating off of his friend. Someone had really screwed up and didn't know it yet. He actually worried for Soul, and by extension, Maka. _That sort of anger could easily rouse the Black Blood inside of Soul. It could even take over and we'd have a whole other problem. Or it could consume Black Star and myself over our resonance with Maka._

Maka caught Kid's eye and nodded once too him. She knew as well. She would be watching for that as well. Good.

Tentatively, Maka placed a hand on her weapon's shoulder. She felt him tense and then relax under her touch. Maybe this wasn't as bad as she had thought. He wasn't going to round on her for trying to help. That meant his anger was directed. Directed at the witch calling herself Circe.

_God, I feel sorry for her._ Maka thought inwardly with a wicked smile.

"Me too." Soul whispered aloud in an even tone, devoid of the emotion he was clearly feeling.

That was probably the most terrifying thing Maka had heard in the last month.

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

Where was he? The "how long" didn't seem to matter anymore.

The darkness. The blasted darkness. He knew he wasn't blindfolded because he couldn't feel anything covering his head or face. That meant he was in a dark room somewhere. Somewhere near a really windy place.

_Not much to go on._

His wrists were raw where he had tried to escape his restraints. Some sort of cloth or rope was tied around his hands. His ankles were tied to whatever chair he sat in.

Someone knew how to bind a man.

The sound of metal on metal from somewhere behind him reached Konstatin's ears. A door opened and a rectangle of blindingly bright light flooded the room, framing Konstatin in his chair.

Footsteps echoed from the doorway and the shilouette of a woman gradually formed as she grew nearer. The woman stepped in front of him, revealing herself. She was the same woman that had bumped into him on the plane and entered the cockpit.

With a beatific smile, the woman bent down, arms behind her back, so her face was even with his.

Konstatin kept his accustomed steely expression and merely stared at the woman. If she followed any stereotypes at all, she would either try and make some banter before telling him her plans or simply walk away. That nearly manic, almost drug-induced, smile made him lean towards the former rather than the latter.

_But why me? Why is this woman here and why have I been kept separate from all the other passengers? It is not like I am the hero in some cheap action flick._

"Konstatin Evans." She actually giggled a little bit, like she had a joke she wanted to share with him. "You are a really great cello player, you know."

_Not what I had expected._ Konstatin thought, schooling his features to remain unreadable.

"You know, you made my plans way more interesting." The girl, she couldn't have been much older than Soul, stood up and turned away from him. She walked lackadaisically in a half circle around him. "The father of a Death Scythe just happened to be on the plane I took." She giggled again.

That giggle was by far the most disconcerting thing that he had heard in many years. It was the sort of sound made by the truly mad. It wasn't hard to imagine hearing her giggle like that as she dragged a knife across his neck. _This girl is truly disturbed._

"How do you know who I am?" Konstatin finally asked, half against his will. The question had been gnawing at him since he had regained consciousness. Why would someone care who _he_ was? He was famous, in some circles, to be sure, but no one of consequence in the grand scheme of things.

The girl stopped her lazy pacing and looked over her shoulder at him, only one eye visible. "I checked the passenger manifest when we landed." She spun and walked over to him, kneeling on the floor in front of him, uncomfortably close to him. "If it makes you feel any better, my name is Circe." She stared into his face, searching for some reaction for a moment. "I'm a witch!" She sounded far too happy to have said those words.

Again, no reaction from her captive.

Circe pouted like a child. "Well you're no fun. You're too serious." She mocked him, attempting to mimic his stony expression, but failed and that deeply unsettling smile returned like a rubber band snapping back. "I guess I'll have to fix that."

Mentally, Konstatin prepared himself. Torture or death. That was likely what was coming. So be it. He would face whatever happened bravely.

He didn't flinch when the girl reached up and touched his face, her fingers spread over the right side of his face. He did flinch after she mumbled a few words and a blast of color flooded his vision.

"There you go!" Circe burbled as she stood up. "Just a little bit of my magic to help you stop being so serious."

Konstatin felt sweat bead on his brow as a cascade of every color washed over his sight. His head felt light as a feather and he had the troubling sensation that his brain was bobbing on the surface of liquid.

"What did you do to me?" He growled.

Instantly, the girl's face was in front of his, filling his vision. Her eyes were the most magnificent hazel he'd ever seen. "I brightened up your world!" She leaned back and giggled again. The sound echoed off the walls too distant to be seen and came back to him, surrounding him like a hundred giggling girls.

He shook his head, trying to shake himself from whatever insanity he found himself in now. She must have drugged him or something.

"That won't work Mister Evans." Circe laughed. "My magic brings euphoria."

"This is no euphoria that I know of." Konstatine growled, trying to fight the maddening sensation.

"And here I thought you lived through the 70s. Oh well. Just give it some time and you'll feel _great_!" Circe walked past him and the door closed a moment later.

The darkness returned, but the blinding wash of colors remained, forming shapes swirling before him.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 5<strong>

"Who on God's Green Earth built an airstrip out here?" Liz complained over the strong winds as the team walked through the woods. "There's no city or town or anything nearby."

"Who cares?" Black Star asked as he walked a few paces ahead of Liz. "I get to be the center of the show, so it doesn't matter where it is. I'm such a big star they'll see me in Denver!"

Kid, walking a few yards ahead of the group, stopped and motioned everyone forward. They found themselves on the edge of a gigantic clearing. In the far distance, a line of bright rectangles shone brightly in the pre-dawn dark.

"That's the plane. It looks like they're near the old hangars." Kid said after a moment.

"So what's the plan? We can't fight in a plane, not if the passengers are on board." Maka asked.

"Well, if she's like any witch we've ever fought, she should be more than happy to come out of the plane. She'll cackle and laugh and tell us we can't stop her and attack. Then, we fight her, beat her and take her soul." Liz said offhand.

"That's not far from the plan. If we can get her outside, we can fight her. Talking and everything else is a plus." Kid answered.

"Let's go, then." Soul said from the back of the group, his tone even. "Let's get this over with."

The group, save Maka who stood next to him, collectively looked at him for a moment. He had seemingly calmed down on the helicopter ride. Only those who could see souls were able to tell that he had taken all of his anger and compressed it, ready to be released at a convenient time.

Somewhere inside of Soul, a little red imp cowered in a corner of his ballroom. A little golden packaged, tied up with a neat little bow, sat atop the table. It was vibrating ever so slightly as its contents yearned to escape.

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

Konstatin had heard a couple of his friends talk about acid trips that they had undergone. By all accounts, whatever Circe had done to him was above and beyond that of acid.

All ability to tell time had left him early on. The colors had started off restless, but now readily formed shapes and pictures. Strange sounds had started sometime later and had resolved into people talking and music.

He had seen his wife walk from the blackness of the room, wreathed in a golden aura, sit down at a piano that he could have sword had always been there, and play ragtime. A line of cowboys that were sometimes Red Army generals and sometimes velociraptors had marched their way between him and his wife and begun to dance the Charleston.

After what felt like a year, they had evaporated into neon green smoke, which floated up to the top of the room. After a moment, it began to talk to him, brightening and darkening in luminosity as it spoke. The smoke, which referred to itself in the third person as Klaatu[1], talked about the recent advent of steam power and how it would one day lead to steam-powered planes to the moons of Jupiter. Klaatu spent a fair deal of time talking about genies and how full of themselves they were.

Shortly after, the floor had turned into a wall, smiled at him and told him how much it wanted to be friends. It came over to hug him the colors faded away. Along with his consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 5<strong>

The sky was beginning to brighten, lit by the sun rising behind a mountain. It would still be hours before direct sunlight actually reached the valley, but the light was making the group much more visible as they raced across the open field of the airstrip.

The plane was growing quickly as the neared it. They had seen people walking around outside of the plane from a ways back. What they had first thought were guards or accomplices of Circe's, had turned out to be the passengers of the plane.

"Why are they just wandering around?" Maka asked as they ran.

"She must have done something to them. They don't look quite right." Tsubaki responded. Her keen eyesight afforded her a better picture of what was going on.

"Are they wounded?" Kid asked, concern and irritation inching into his voice. His plan had been blown all to hell when they realized their hostages were milling around his intended battleground.

"It doesn't look like it. But hey! I get an audience!" Black Star replied.

As they closed within a few hundred yards of the plane, the exterior illumination of the plane made the scene visible to those without ninja eyes. The faint sound of people talking was reaching them now as well. None of it seemed to make sense though. No one was really standing near anyone else and talking, but they were hearing bits and pieces of conversations and arguments. It didn't make any sense.

Amid the strange mass of people, one person walked normally and with apparent purpose. She walked up to a man who was staggering around, arms out in front of him, like he was walking through a dark house. The woman raised her arm and pointed a stick of some sort at the man, pressed it to his forehead, and then the man was gone. His body instantly flew apart into a spray of golden sparks that arced into the sky and fell slowly to the earth.

Where he had stood, the innocent man's soul hovered. The woman lowered her weapon to the blue orb and a mouth formed at the end of the stick. The mouth quickly and greedily consumed the soul.

Even over the distance, the woman's pealing laughter reached them. The sound made blood run cold among the group of weapons and weisters.

"She's feeding those people to a weapon!" Soul growled savagely. He jumped ahead of the group and poured all of his strength to his legs. In the matter of a few seconds, he crossed the distance to the woman.

She was either possessed of iron will to trick him or she genuinely didn't see him coming. Either way, she made no move whatsoever to evade or block whatever attack was coming at her from behind.

With no warning, not even a war cry from Soul, Soul's fist connected with the back of the witch's head. With a crack heard by the other students following in Soul's wake, Soul broke every bone in his hand and tore his rotator cuff. The witch, caught completely unawares by her assailant, had all of the force of Soul's punch transferred to her skull. Circe pitched forward, and with a sickening crunch, her face becoming fast friends with the tarmac on which she had been walking. As if that had not been enough, the imparted momentum caused her body to flip over, using her skull as a fulcrum, she landed on her back.

Wide eyes in a face covered in blood stared up at the pre-dawn sky.

"Soul! What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" Maka screamed as she reached his side. The other students, weapons held by meisters, placed themselves between Soul and Maka and the stunned witch.

Soul panted heavily, gasping for air. He held his injured arm with his good hand, staring at the still lying on her back, arms outstretched. Maka saw his eyes glint with something akin to pride or satisfaction as a small red pool spread out from her head on the pavement.

Realizing that something was wrong with his master, Circe's weapon changed back into his human form: a little boy. No more than six or seven.

The boy dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the witch. He shook her slightly.

"Circe?" Tears welled in the child's eyes. "Circe? This isn't funny." He began to shake her even more. "Circe?" After calling her name a few more times, it sunk in that the witch was not going to get up. The child threw himself onto her chest and wailed.

Soul walked past Maka, who watched the scene stunned. He walked past Kid, holding Liz and Patty, whom he was slowly lowering. He walked past Black Star who stood stock still, eyes wide, still holding Tsubaki at the ready.

Soul stopped, standing next to the hysterical child. He looked down on the scene without any expression at all.

The boy stiffened, realizing he wasn't alone. He sat up and looked at Soul for a long moment, tears still covering his face. "Why?" The boy asked finally. "Why did you hurt her? She was just protecting me!" He wailed again, wiping tears and snot on the sleeves of his jacket.

"Shut up." Soul whispered.

_Shunk._

The boy stopped crying. He stopped everything. His body slowly dissolved, leaving a red pre-Kishin soul hovering a little way off the ground.

_Shunk._

A witch's soul joined it a moment later.

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"Ugh... would somebody turn that off?"

"Soul?" Maka's voice came from a distance. "Soul! You're awake!"

He tried to open his eyes and nearly was blinded by the light. He nearly brained himself with his heavier-than expected arm sheathed in a cast.

"Ow."

"You moron." Maka laughed as she placed herself between the light and his eyes. Soul opened his eyes wide, blinking away the cobwebs.

"You look different." Soul said after a moment.

Maka laughed. "I'm glad you're ok." She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly.

_Hold on_. He felt her hand catching on stubble that adorned his face. He'd never been able to grow facial hair very fast.

"Maka?"

"What is it?" The smile left her face. She sensed his worry in his voice.

"How long have I been unconsious?"

Maka stood up and sat in the seat next to his hospital bed. Her face was unreadable.

"Maka. How long?"

"A... about a month."

* * *

><p><strong>[1] If you got that one, and haven't seen the recent cinematic abortion of a remake featuring Keanu Reeves, you are a true fan of sci-fi.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Jesus Christ. Two days to write that little bit of emotional hell. Sorry it took me so damned long, guys. The chapter was a good one, in my opinion. Nice and long. I mixed up my usual method of telling the story a bit as well. I hope you enjoyed it!**

**So, this chapter is a bit more... dark than most of NtL to date. And I kind of liked writing this chapter, to be sure. I had another one of those moments where my muse takes over and has me write something that I hadn't planned out. The scene with Circe getting brained and her young Kishin-in-the-making was one such thing.**

**About that scene... Keep in mind, I WILL explain all that happened next chapter. But until then: Circe was a Greek goddess of magic and _drugs_. She made Konstatin trip balls, along with an entire planeload of people. And Soul _did_ touch her when he punched her. Just about everything after that is strange and unconsciousness for Soul. Keep that in mind.**

**I haven't decided if the last bit is a trip or actually happened. Part of that depends on my muse and what you all say in your reviews and private messages.**

**In all honestly, I got a serious kick out of writing that scene. I love taking black and white and muddying the waters, sometimes even seeing the hero become the villain. Moral ambiguity is more interesting than clear-cut "this is a witch, witches are ALWAYS evil and you shall kill them without hesitation or thought".**

**But, like I said, nothing regarding that last scene is as-yet in stone. We'll just have to see how it goes, won't we?**

**Review if you want to have a say, people!**

**P.S. Happy early Thanksgiving to my American audience out there.**


	20. While You Were Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 20: While You Were Out...**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 9, Day 5<strong>

"She's feeding those people to a weapon!" Soul growled. In an instant, he charged ahead of the rest of the weapons and mesiters, leaving them behind.

"Follow him." Kid whispered as loud as he dared. Kid, Black Star and Maka rose form a kneeling position as one and sped silently after the wayward weapon.

For all the of the speed that the team tried to gain, it wouldn't be enough. Soul would reach the witch well before they would. And he'd be next to helpless without a meister to wield him in battle.

A few paces shy of Circe, she turned and faced Soul who stopped dead in his tracks. His fist clenched and held back for what would have been a strike of monumental force; his face contorted into a mask or rage.

"Oh my. What do we have _here_?" She asked, leaning forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with Soul's statuesque form.

"Get away from him you bitch!" Maka screamed as she and the others neared.

Leaning out from behind Soul, Circe cocked an eyebrow theatrically. "Oh. You have friends." She deadpanned. "And here I thought a lover's tryst would have livened things up." She paused to sneer at Maka.

Kid, Black Star and Maka were nearly to Soul when the witch spun around in a pirouette and waved a wand that looked like a hack magician's prop at the trio. The only hint that she was actually attacking them was a slight ripple in the air, the sort produced by an oven door opening. Only Kid saw the slight distortion, and he was far too late to act or warn his comrades.

A wave of... _everything_ hit the meisters. Nausea, vertigo, light-headedness, the taste of purple, euphoric bliss, a slight tingling sensation, sudden awareness of one's own tongue, giddiness, pants-soiling terror and something feeling vaguely like being scrubbed by a brush made of... pancakes, actually, assaulted their senses.

In the face of the sudden rush of sensations, motor coordination like running was temporarily impossible. The cold, frost-covered grass rose up to meet them. Unable to concentrate and hold their weapon forms, Liz, Patty and Tsubaki returned to their human forms and writhed on the ground with their meisters as they desperately tried to make sense of the assault on their senses.

Over the inarticulate groans of her adversaries, Circe laughed at their hilarious reactions to her magic. How had she _lived_ before she fought weapons and meisters before? They were the best playthings! So much better than those silly normal people from the plane...

"Good work, Niebo!"[1] Circe cried to her weapon. "That might have been your best one yet." Her laugh faded to a giggle as she wiped a tear from her eye.

A small, shy voice replied from the magician's want. "Thank you, Circe."

The witch looked over her new playthings, laying on the ground, as the groaned and sobbed. "I wonder how long they'll last before they go mad?" Her voice was bright and cheerful, clashing with her entirely evil grin.

* * *

><p>Maka was floating in a sea. Of <em>what<em>, she had no idea. It had a texture that changed the instant she tried to compare it to something, tried to nail it down. The temperature would change from freezing cold to a perfect bath temperature, then it would be lukewarm. Then it would boil.

Colors darted across her vision at a seizure-inducing pace. It was like being trapped in a kaleidoscope on speed or standing in the light of a stained glass window and spinning on a salad shooter. Sometimes, if she concentrated with all her might, she could see the early morning sky over the airfield.

Concentration. That was the hard part. One minute down was left and up was inside out. The next the sky was the floor and she would look up at the ground. Her head would feel like it was in a vice one moment, and then she would be in a vacuum, her eyes and eardrums trying desperately to escape her skull.

Sometimes the haze that had become her world would bring pleasure as well; her skin would feel like eels were crawling beneath it and then every inch of her body would feel the light caress of lips. Gentle, loving almost, as they gave their formless love to her. Powerful orgasms would sail out of nowhere and wrack her body in an ecstasy that lasted for so long it became pain, and she would long for release from the pleasure.

Pain, pleasure and strangeness were the governing principles of wherever Maka was. They were all one in the same, yet distinct. No one sensation was pure pleasure or pure pain. The two were intertwined with each other and the other sensations that would normally not even be possible. Tasting colors, smelling light, seeing sounds, feeling words and so many other insane acts occurred at all times, encompassing the pleasurable pain and the painful pleasure.

In the midst of such an assault on her senses and sanity, it was so very tempting to stop fighting. To just give in and let this sea of insanity sweep her off or take her beneath its gelatinous waves. Or were the waves sandy? Maybe there were just fluffy. Huh, so _that's_ what blandiloquent[2] tastes like.

Maka jolted out of her mental segue like a sleeper on the verge of a dream. This was not good. Not good at all. She was already losing control over her thoughts. She had to focus, to find something to moor herself to and keep her sane.

Another brief, sensual wave of undulating touches passed over her. She shuddered and was reminded of the way Soul would caress her body after-

Soul! That was it! He would be her anchor to sanity. Maka clasped her hands around that ever so thin lifeline with all of her strength, fighting the pain, the pleasure and the strangeness that pulled at her, beckoning her to a mad doom.

Maka held desperately to her mental life raft. She had to fight her way out of this insane... place, however she could. Closing her eyes to focus, she blindly felt for her soul resonance link to her weapon. Amidst the noise and chaos that her mind had become, she couldn't feel it. Panic gripped Maka's heart as she realized that it might not even exist anymore, that she and Soul had moved too far out of soul resonance for the link to exist.

Once more, she concentrated, forcing all of her might into making one small, sane place where she could think. The undulation of the sea that she floated on seemed to still for a moment and the sensations assaulting her eased. Forcing herself to be calm, to force the growing panic within herself aside, Maka felt around for her link to Soul.

A single hair brushed across her face and she absently batted it aside. She couldn't let anything distract her from her search. She reached out with her beleaguered senses, seeking her link to Soul. She focused on the feelings that were absolutely unique to her soul being tied to his.

The hair brushed across her face again. Angrily, Maka opened her eyes and grabbed the hair, determined to toss it away so it couldn't distract her further. The hair was white as snow and impossibly long. It wasn't hers...

Then it hit her. All of the emotions, thoughts and feelings that normally flowed over her link to Soul smashed into her link a tidal wave.

Maka cried out in joy and triumph as she realized she'd found what she sought. The triumphant cry transformed as it left her into one of dismay and terror. Over the link, no matter how thin or fragile it appeared, she could feel Soul's own battle with whatever the witch had done to him.

Unlike her own torment, his was one entirely of a pain to intense that it became hers. Pain wasn't the right word for the feelings that were now flowing into her like water from a hole in a dam. No, pain was definitely an understatement, but no word she kept in her vast lexicon would ever be enough to possibly begin to cover it.

Her hand seemed to burn like thermite where the thin thread touched it, yet she dared not let go. She focused on the pain coursing up her arm and into her chest as every instinct she had screamed for her to let go of the thing so obviously causing her such anguish.

With a determination that came from nowhere, yet everywhere around her, Maka held on to the metaphor of her link to Soul made real. Some wild part of her mind hoped that she was taking some small portion of his pain away, shielding him with her own being. Another, equally wild part of her that she didn't know even existed took over.

This powerful force that was so alien to Maka, yet so undeniably a part of herself, screamed in fury. _How dare that witch do this to _her_ weapon, _her man_?_ It raged.

A kaleidoscopic parade of mental images and wild fantasies of what that part of her wanted to do to the witch swept through Maka's mind. Staring as this grisly parade of sweet, sweet vengeance, Maka idly thought that some of the things this murderous part of her subconscious wanted to inflict on Circe might even make Professor Stein blush. _Sawing someone apart by feeding them razor wire and then _flossing_ them... not exactly original, but inventive..._ Maka thought in a detached, shocked wonder at one fantasy that jumped out at her.

A slight disturbance in the sea of mental confusion put an end to the cascade of murderous intent and pulled her from her strangely coherent thoughts. The sea wasn't gently undulating as it had before; it was shaking and vibrating like a glass of water in an earthquake. _What the hell...?_

Like a leviathan rising from the ocean depths, this... _other_ rose from the mental mess that she had floated in for so long, taking her with it. Maka felt herself cupped in the unseen hands of this other, wild, ferocious version of herself and then thrown up into the sky. She reached the apex of her flight and began to fall back to indefinable sea beneath. It rose faster and faster, growing to break her as she smashed into its surface and then swallow the pieces whole.

Maka screamed. Screamed in terror of what was happening and what was going to happen. Screamed for everything that she was about to lose. Screamed in fury for how helpless and pitiful she was. Screamed because of the pain that was still lancing through her body from the thin thread she still clutched in a death grip. Screamed for Soul.

And then she hit the ground.

* * *

><p>Soul writhed in an indescribable pain. Literally nothing that he could have ever imagined before would have even begun to match this sort of agony.<p>

In his more lucid moments, he was actually able to contemplate the pain before another, fresh wave rolled over him. He knew the various kinds of pain from his life as a weapon and he was able to identify some of what he felt. He knew what flesh being rent felt like, what breaking bones felt like, the feeling of burns, electric shocks, frostbite and a few others. But there were so many things he had never experienced before. Things he had never _imagined_ before.

Those lucid moments where he was anything approaching conscious, or at least able to string together two thoughts were few. The rest of Soul's "time" was taken up exclusively by pain. There was nothing else, just the pain.

He'd been able to focus on something to try and mitigate his anguish early on, but that hadn't lasted long. Like someone was slowly turning a dial that increased his pain, the sensations had come faster and stronger as time went on. Unlike a dial, there seemed to be no limit to how many times the dial spun around before it reached its maximum.

He'd tried thinking of all the innocent people on the plane, but he was hopelessly tangled in razor wire, slicing himself and bleeding to death as he struggled to free himself.

He'd tried thinking of his father, whom he was there to save, but all of his bones had splintered and then melted into lava.

He'd tried thinking of his friends and what was happening to them, but his blood had flash-boiled in his veins and ruptured them, boiling his organs.

He'd tried thinking of Maka, but he fell into a 230kV transmission tower after an endless fall through a cloud of frozen ice as sharp as razor blades.

He'd tried thinking of Emi, but his lungs were forced out of his mouth as his eyes and eardrums exploded in hard vacuum.

He'd tried to think of ways to think, but he bled from every orifice and his flesh was rotted away as he drowned on his blood, trying to scream.

Now he cursed himself and Fate and God in the latest lull in the pain. He cursed everything because he wouldn't pass out, he wouldn't break, he wouldn't just die. Soul wanted nothing more than to have the pain stop, to be done with it.

He wanted to die. To cease existing. To stop feeling anything at all.

Hanging on to the torn edges of his mind, what remained of Soul's senses refused to let him give up. To abandon everything and just let go. Soul took a perverse glee in watching that persistent fragment of himself get more beat up, more broken and more scared with each passing wave of pain. Every subsequent round of agony frayed the last tatters of his mind and weakened the little bastard's grip.

_What are you doing, you idiot? Hold on, damn you!_

_No._

_You have to endure this if you want to get out of here._

_It hurts._

Life_ hurts, you fucking pussy! What about the others? What about them? Are you going to give up on them?_

_Yes._

_What? Why?!_

_It hurts too much._

_What about Maka? Are you going to give up and leave her here alone?_

_Yes._

You promised her! _You told her you were her weapon, her partner, her lover!_

_I was wrong. If I want to die like this, I'm not worthy to be her weapon._

_Bullshit. You've survived this long! Now try and think of a way out!_

_I can't. It hurts too much._

_And what about Emi? What about your daughter? You want her to grow up knowing her daddy was a pussy who just gave up?_

_She'll be fine. She'll have Maka._

_So you just want to dump raising a kid on Maka because you can't take the pain?_

Soul hesitated for a moment. He had no answer for this little bastard of an inner self. Why couldn't the little prick just shut up and let him die?

_What about this, smartass?_

The little part of Soul held up a small, golden thread. The thread had no start and no end, trailing off into the darkness beyond his sight. His eyes widened as the significance of that thread registered.

"Maka..." Soul managed to moan quietly.

Suddenly the entire universe was on fire. He was being slowly lowered feet first into an arc furnace[3]. His skin burnt and cracked, turning black and flaking off in the intense thermal updraft, as his clothes ignited. His toes touched the molten steel and the insane electrical current flowing through it struck him, stopping his heard and forcing every muscle in his body to contract, denying Soul the ability to even scream.

After so much anguish, the last of Soul's mental fortitude broke, sending the last of his senses flying off, the string connecting him to Maka still in its grip.

Darkness rushed in, engulfing Soul in blessed nothingness.

_Damn,_ _I'm not dead._

Soul opened his eyes and groaned again. "So, this is Hell."

"Oh, it's not so bad. It's seen better days I'll admit... but It's something like my home. So show some respect."

Resigned, Soul turned his head and looked at the familiar little red demon he'd fought so hard so many times to resist. "Hey, Little Red. Long time no see. Thankfully."

The imp smiled wanly and bowed. He looked as terrible as Soul felt, apparently. His usually dapper suit was torn and tattered. The little guy looked like he had been thrown around more than a couple of times in all of the tumult of Soul's torture. "At your service once more."

Soul stood from the chair he had found himself sitting in and looked around The Black Room. The whole place had taken something of a beating. Then again, that was like saying a hammer is effective at breaking windows. The red curtains and wall-hangings were shredded and burnt. The black and white tiles were cracked and broken. Even the antique record player was beaten and broken, barely even able to turn; it's sad and halting tune sputtered, sounding more like a funeral dirge than old jazz.

"So, little dude, what is this? I'm not dead, and I'm not being tortured." Soul asked casually as he spun in a slow circle, surveying the damage.

The little demon grinned, showing his sharp teeth, and spread his arms wide. "Think of this as something of a fallout shelter." Soul stopped turning and looked out of the corner of his eye at the little imp for a moment and resumed his turning. "I said 'think of' not 'is'. You finally broke after taking so much. Once that happened, I was able to grab you and bring you here."

"Why?" Soul asked absently as he examined a particularly destroyed part of the ceiling.

"Oh come now. You should know better after all we've been through." The demon replied, feigning hurt. "I want you to survive, by any means. And that means that I get to survive. We _are_ inseparable, you and I, after all." He chuckled softly.

Soul stopped again, facing away from the demon. After a moment his shoulders sagged and he let out a resigned sigh. "Let me guess-"

"I want you-"

"To use you, The Black Blood." Soul finished.

The imp's smile broadened considerably. "Got it in one. You seem to be in a _really_ tight spot and I can hel-"

Still facing away from the demon, Soul raised a hand to silence him. "Save your song and dance, Little Red."

The demon's face dropped. "I knew you'd say that..." He whined. "And would it kill you to not call me that?"

Soul completed his rotation and faced the imp. His lopsided, trademark smile on the weapon's face.

The imp gasped and tried to fight off a hopeful smile. "You mean..."

Soul held his hand out for the little demon to take. "Let's do it. We've got nothing to lose. And I'm not even going to bother telling you to let up once we get out of whatever this is. You know what Maka will do to you if you don't."

The imp swallowed hard and shuddered at the thought and took the offered hand.

* * *

><p>Maka groaned and spat out a mouthful of dirt and grass. At least falling on her face was less painful than smashing into that sea would have been.<p>

Maka rolled onto her back and coughed. She stared up at the morning sky that was much brighter than when Circe had attacked them. The fog that had filled her head was rapidly dissipating, now that she was free of whatever spell had been cast upon her.

Slowly, she took stock of what she could see, feel and hear. Apparently all of her limbs were still attached. _Well, that's good_. The cold wind was still blowing, but had lessened since the sun had come up. She could hear far more than she could see or feel though.

The general din of the passengers of the plane in whatever magic induced delirium they were in could still be heard. That meant that a good number of them were still alive. She could also hear her friends. Black Star sounded as though he was crying. Tsubaki was cackling like a witch on nitrous oxide[4]. Kid was whimpering and mumbling about the beauty of something's symmetry. Patty was growling like a tiger. Liz was breathing heavy and moaning slightly.

She realized that she couldn't hear Soul making any noise at all. She took some small comfort in being able to still feel her soul resonance with her weapon.

_Well. I'm the first out. Goody._ Slowly, Maka sat up and looked around. All of the weapons and meisters were still lying on the ground where they had fallen when Circe had cast her spell. The witch herself stood only a few feet away from Soul, her back to the group of DWMA students as she watched her victims from the plane, laughing occasionally at something hilarious only to her. Maka's weapon was still standing frozen where he had stopped.

Her fear for Soul was nearly equaled by her fear of being unarmed and effectively alone with Circe. Maka stood slowly, unsure if the witch's attention was genuinely given over to her amusement at the passengers or if she was faking that once more. The meister cautiously staggered over towards her enemy and partner; her senses still not entirely back under her command, but she knew that without Soul, she stood no chance.

Suddenly the world collapsed under - or on top of - Maka. Her legs collapsed beneath her and her heart attempted to drop out of her rib cage. She screamed in the anguish of loss and clutched her hands to her chest.

Circe looked over her shoulder at the screaming girl and laughed callously and turned back to her little game.

Maka's resonance with Soul was gone.

* * *

><p>Soul laughed like a man possessed as the Black Blood filled his mind and soul, granting him terrible strength at an equally terrible cost. The little imp laughed in triumph as he once again empowered his host.<p>

Freed from the constrains of sanity by the black blood coursing through his veins, and as yet trapped within the confines of his besieged mind, nothing could contain Soul. The Black Room broke apart around him as he laughed hysterically, pointing at the walls, ceiling and floor as they exploded on his command.

The manic laugh halted unnaturally. "Well fuck. What do I do now?" Soul wondered aloud, as he found himself floating in the endless void that was his mind in its current state.

"Normally there's a tunnel... or a hallway... or a locked door... or some other contrived bullshit." He looked around himself, finding only a black void. Soul hunched over in thought for a moment, tapping his index against his cheek.

Soul shrugged and smiled widely. "Fuckit." He said rapidly before cackling again and flying in whatever direction passed for "upwards". He gained speed, flying faster and faster, laughing all the way, until a distant glimmer of light appeared ahead of him.

"Kneeew iit!" Soul sang as he approached the rapidly growing light.

The light began to fade into a washed out view of the tarmac. Circe was standing in front of him, her back turned as she laughed and watched her victims walk around in their dazes. An arm ending in a fist were held out as if to strike the witch. As Soul approached, the image resolved itself, becoming more clear and more vibrant, filling up everything he could see.

Soul began to chuckle, then giggle, then laugh hysterically as he realized that what he was seeing was actually from his own eyes. He was still standing stationary where Circe had cast her spell on him... And thrown him into that horrible pit of despair... And broken his mind with her tortures. _And she was standing with her back to him!_

The weapon _slammed_ into the panorama his eyes were making for him and back into his body.

Like a paused movie, Soul began moving again. With the same momentum he had possessed before he was frozen stock still. His fist mere inches from the unguarded back of the damnable witch's head...

* * *

><p>Maka had screamed the last of the air from her lungs some time ago. She lay on the ground with one hand clenched to her chest, her chest that had never felt more empty in her life. Her other hand was outstretched towards Soul's still form, looking for all the world like a painted statue wearing clothes.<p>

_It's gone!_ she kept screaming within herself. _My resonance with Soul! It's gone!_

Her vision blurred as her eyes filled with tears that were equally from her pain and her body's lack of oxygen.

She felt as though someone had punched her in the sternum and knocked the wind out of her. No matter how hard she tried, Maka couldn't draw breath. Her soul, so wracked with grief and terror that it wouldn't let her body stop screaming and start breathing.

Darkness began to ring her sight as the lack of air threatened to plunge her into unconsiousness.

_No... Soul..._ Maka sobbed inwardly. _This... this isn't right..._

The darkness around her vision grew and began to cover everything. It couldn't end like this. There was no way that they could be beaten by a no-name witch like this. But it was happening. And there was nothing Maka could do. She couldn't bring herself to inhale, to get up and attack Circe with her teeth and fingernails if she had to.

Soul moved.

Maka gasped.

* * *

><p>A vindicated laugh exploded from Soul's lips as his body began to move at terrifying speeds. Time slowed as his fist neared the back of the witch's head. He could even count the individual hair fibers on the back of her head...<p>

And then time sped up to normal.

Like a rocket fueled by crazy, Soul's fist, and the rest of him, slammed into the back of Circe's head with the force of Thor's Mjollnir cackling the entire way.

With a terrible _crunch_, every bone in Soul's madness-powered arm broke; Fingers, metacarpals, radius, ulna and humerus.

The force of the impact slammed Circe's head forward and down. Her entire body flew forward and down, her face smashing with a wet sound against the pavement. Her lower body continued to move, pivoting over her head, using it as a fulcrum.

Her magic wand/weapon/kishin-in-training rolled from her loosened hand, coming to a stop a short distance from her outstretched hand. She made no move to grasp for it.

Circe came to rest laying on her back; her face still adorned with a satisfied smile born of amusement with her own handiwork, disturbingly offset by wide vacant eyes that stared unseeingly at the morning sky.

Soul threw back his head and laughed with a terrifying glee, his destroyed arm hanging limply by his side, slowly dripping black blood. The drops slowly dripped on the pavement until the Black Blood staunched the flow from the wounds.

After a long, eye watering laugh, Soul looked down at his handiwork. He wiped his eyes with his good hand and stared at the witch for a long moment.

Slowly it dawned on him that the Black Blood and its madness had receded back into whatever part of him that it normally lurked in while he was laughing like a man gone mad. Leaving Soul to confront his handiwork with a disturbingly sound mind. Feeling the pain of his arm, oddly dull after the agony he had suffered under Circe's torment, Soul glanced at the swelling, oddly colored mass of flesh and broken bone that his arm had become. _So much for sound body._ He absently mused inwardly.

"Circe?" A small voice called from the magic wand on the ground next to the fallen witch.

Soul glanced over to see the weapon transform into a small boy, barely old enough to go to school. Soul tried to think if he knew the boy's name, but he couldn't recall Circe calling him anything.

"Circe?" The boy called again, a touch of fear creeping into his thin voice. He crawled over to the prone form of his master who was still smiling up at the brightening sky. The little weapon gently touched the witch's shoulder.

A lance of horror speared Soul's chest. _Dear God... was she his _mother_?_ Soul asked himself in a guilt-stricken voice. Weapon of a witch, pre-kishin, or not, this was still a little boy. A little boy on the verge of terror next to what had likely been the only person in his life that he had trusted.

"Circe?" The boy said once more, gently shaking her shoulder. "This isn't funny..." Tears welled up in the child's eyes.

Soul found himself unable to move, unable to turn away and shut out the little boy's voice as the panic and fear grew in it. And as the tears came.

"Circe!" The little boy shook his master with all of his might and cried out her name for an eternity.

Slowly the boy realized that she was either dead, or so injured that she wasn't sleeping.

_Brain dead._ Soul thought hollowly as the child collapsed onto Circe's chest, wailing.

Soul was torn from the heart-wrenching scene in front of him when he felt a hand on the elbow of his good arm, gently tugging him around. He found himself looking into Maka's emerald eyes.

"Soul?" She asked, hesitantly. He saw her look at the clotted Black Blood on his arm and look back into his eyes. "Are you with me?" Her voice was small and faint, nearly drowned out by the boy's cries.

Soul tried to answer but croaked instead. He wet his tongue and tried again. "Yeah." It was more of a strangled whisper imitating words than an answer.

Beyond Maka, Soul saw Liz, shaking slightly, walking around and rousing the other meisters and weapons. Kid was using a satellite phone or something and was talking very animatedly.

"They're ok, Soul." Maka's voice was stronger and she gently turned his head back to her, looking him in the eyes. "Are you?"

Soul looked away, feeling burned by the love and compassion in her red-rimmed eyes. He glanced once more at the crying child.

"Niebo." Maka said for Soul's benefit. "She called him that as we were being hit by her spell."

The boy heard his name and his tears stopped in a cough. For the first time, he looked at his enemies, the ones who had hurt Circe.

"Why?" The terribly young child asked in a small voice. "Why did you hurt her?"

Soul moved his mouth, but no words would come out. What could he say to this little kid? _Sorry, but she's a witch and we kill witches because they're evil? Sorry, she was turning you into a monster that could destroy the world? She hit me first?_

"She was just protecting me from bad people like you!" The boy shouted, anger starting to replace the hurt he felt. "She just wanted to keep me safe! She said 'I'm doing all of this for you, so you can grow up and be big and strong'!"

Guilt lanced through Soul again, making him nearly double over in soul-deep pain. Of course, Circe had filled his head with her version of things. Why wouldn't she? She had to be able to tell the poor kid why she was doing all the terrible things she was doing. And of course the DWMA was their enemy. The academy existed to fight pre-kishin and witches. But how do you tell a kid that young that everything the only person in his world had been telling him lies? Especially when he was lying on her... body?

"I..." Soul tried.

"You just want to hurt us!" The boy shouted, kneeling defensively over the body of his master.

"I didn't-"

"I won't _let you!_" The boy shouted and extended his hand towards Soul.

Bright blue light shot from the boy's fingers, the tips of which had turned into the white end-caps of a wand, at Soul and Maka.

Without thinking, Soul moved himself between Maka and the light and was struck by the attack.

Electricity arced over his body, dancing up and down his limbs, causing him to spasm and fall to the ground. The magic continued to dance over his skin, leaving no marks, but causing immense pain wherever they touched.

Soul watched as the boy continued to scream and shoot his attack at him, convulsing and thrashing on the ground.

As darkness began to cover his eyes, Soul heard a roar and saw twin bolts of pink energy slam into the child, ending his attack. Niebo flew away, out of Soul's vision, carried by the force of Kid's attack.

Before the darkness claimed him once again, Soul saw Maka's face, tears streaming, shaking him and shouting at him. He couldn't hear her, but he tried to smile reassuringly, to let her know he was ok.

Darkness swept over him, taking his vision, hearing, feeling, and pain. _Small miracles._ He thought dimly.

* * *

><p><strong>Week ?, Day ?<strong>

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"Ugh... would somebody turn that off?"

"Soul?" Maka's voice came from a distance. "Soul! You're awake!"

He tried to open his eyes and nearly was blinded by the light. He nearly brained himself with his heavier-than expected arm sheathed in a cast.

"Ow."

"You moron." Maka laughed as she placed herself between the light and his eyes. Soul opened his eyes wide, blinking away the cobwebs.

Maka's hair was down, no up in the ponytails she still insisted that she wear them in. Something about her seemed a little different. Not that he could see much of her. Just her face and chest... _Oh. That's a welcome improvement._ Soul thought as he saw her breasts had grown at least a cup size.

"You look different." Soul said after a moment.

Maka stared at him for a moment and then laughed. "I'm glad you're ok." She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him softly.

_Hold on_. He felt her hand catching on stubble that adorned his face. He'd never been able to grow facial hair very fast.

"Maka?"

"Hm?" The smile left her face. She sensed his worry in his voice.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

Maka stood up and sat in the seat next to his hospital bed. Her face was gave away little, other than a rather obvious battle she was waging with herself.

"Maka. How long?"

"A... about a month."

Soul closed his eyes and slumped back into the bed, covering his eyes with the cast. "Shit."

* * *

><p><strong>[1]: Nii-yay-bow, Polish, meaning "sky". I'm not sure why I chose Polish or sky, but the combination seemed to work so well. A clear sky is kind of the antithesis of Circe's magic and it just fit.<strong>

**[2] I'll save you some time, it means "mild, flattering speech". It has no taste when not tripping on witch-magic. At least not that **_**I**_** know of, anyways.**

**[3] An arc furnace is used in foundries and is used to melt metal for steel production using an electric arc. They heat metal up to around 1,800 degrees Celsius or 3,272 degrees Fahrenheit. Probably one of the most horrifying things I could think of.**

**[4] In addition to being a great way to shred a car's engine by using it for a boost of speed, nitrous oxide is also known as laughing gas. Dentists use it to put people under or otherwise make them more relaxed for procedures.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, Chapter 20, ladies and gentlemen!**

**Yeah, I know, I won't dodge the subject a whole lot here. I was **_**way the fuck late**_** with this chapter. I've got no excuse, no classes or exams or life crisis. All I can really say is that I didn't feel like writing this for the longest time. It might be because I was dreading writing this chapter because I knew what it was going to be like. It could be because video games, anime and alcohol were really enticing alternatives to writing. It might just be that I feel like I'm losing my spark with this story. I honestly can't say. Just trust me when I tell you that the only reason that I wrote this chapter is because I know you all were really waiting for it. I hope that it was worth the wait and the author's **_**poor, poor pitiful me**_** bullshit.**

**I appreciate those of you who kept on reading and re-reading and leaving comments. And those of you who managed to find this under the pile or more recently updated stories, I welcome you and am grateful that you took the time to read up to date on a story that might as well have been on hiatus.**

**Feel free to keep going to the forum that I started for my stories and to keep emailing me. I've left my contact information scattered all over this story and my profile, so feel free to hit me up.**

**Again, I'm beyond words for how sorry I am that this took so long. I sincerely hope that the next chapter won't take so long.**

**As always, please review now that you've read.**


	21. Riding a Bicycle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 21: Riding a Bicycle**

* * *

><p><strong>Week 15, Day 6<strong>

Soul sat languidly in the passenger seat of the car as Maka drove him home for the first time since he awoke in the hospital. He stared out the window at the buildings and people as they passed by in a blur. Not that he was really paying attention to them at the moment.

He'd spent damned near a month in a medically induced coma. He figured that he was entitled to some moping around. Not that enduring two weeks of physical therapy hadn't helped his mood much.

Soul reflexively clenched one of his hands into a fist. Physical therapy was the worst part of it all. The doctors, nurses and therapists had been great; kind and understanding, helping him and genuinely caring. But that only really made him feel worse. He was a fucking _Death Scythe_, damnit! He wasn't supposed to have a weak mind or a weak body.

The weapon had thrown himself into his therapy with a sort of ferocity that had astonished and concerned the medical staff assigned to him. That concern had lead to several appointments with a psychiatrist who specialized in helping weapons and meisters deal with the unique combination of stress they lived with.

That, Soul reflected, might have actually been the worst part of his therapy.

The doc had been told about the Black Blood that still coursed through his veins after so many years and the effects that both Soul and Crona had reported at various times. An issue that the man had done a great job to avoid when it wasn't related to what Soul was saying.

After a few sessions that had strained both Soul and the shrink to their breaking points, the doctor had finally asked Soul point blank "Why are you so angry?". That simple question had broken down more than a few walls and mental dams. Three hours after the appointment was supposed to have ended, Maka had herded her exhausted fiancé from the office.

Soul grimaced. Crying his eyes out like a child in front of a shrink and Maka had been embarrassing. It had however uncorked the emotions he had kept bottled up that were driving him insane. He'd left exhausted, emotionally and physically, but it had felt like a boulder had been lifted off his shoulders.

"You're still thinking about that?" Maka asked, looking at him with one eye from the driver's seat. The ghost of a smile of her lips.

Soul sighed. "Yeah."

"It's done. You can't take it back and its probably better that way." She smiled at him in full now.

He stretched in his seat. "Yeah. I know. It's just embarrassing to be crying about daddy issues and breaking under torture. What with being physically and mentally broken." Soul smiled back.

Maka's smile thinned. "Soul, stop guilting yourself. So what if you broke? You were tortured. I nearly gave up, too, you know. But you came back."

"And I punched the witch in the back of the head and turned her into a vegetable. For a little while anyways." Soul added in a monotone.

After Soul had passed out from Niebo's attacks and he was subdued by Kid, Circe had died while the students were debating what to do with her; to kill her or to have the medical teams on their way stabilize her.

"And she would have killed us all. Don't grow a conscience because her weapon, her _kishin in training_ I might add, was a kid. We've killed witches in the past and you've never shed a tear for _them_. Not to mention, that kid tried to kill you."

"I know." Soul said in a whisper. "Doesn't change how I feel about it."

Maka smiled again. "I know sweetie. We'll work through it. Your back among the living, and that's all I ever wanted."

Soul returned her smile with his own, slightly force, trademark grin and took her hand in his. "We will."

Maka parked the car behind their apartment and the two walked up the stairs to their home.

As soon as Soul opened the door there was a shouted chorus of "Welcome home!" and a cheer.

Soul recovered from nearly shitting himself and laughed hysterically. It looked like most of his class and his family was crammed into their apartment.

"We wanted to welcome you back." Maka told him with a smile.

"Thanks, everyone." Soul managed, wiping his suddenly misty eyes. _Damned morphine._[1]

"Son! It is good to have you back!" Konstatin said warmly as he approached and embraced his youngest son in a bear hug.

Soul returned the hug. "It's good to be home, Dad." He didn't bother fighting the tears this time.

Jen quietly approached her son and husband and enlarged the hug. With a gentle smile, she beckoned Maka to join them.

Maka nearly gasped as she was pulled into the group hug. She was used to feeling Soul's warmth and emotions all the time, but even without soul resonance, she could feel the paternal love from her future in-laws. Time seemed to stand still as they all basked in the warmth and love of the moment.

Konstatin was the first to break the hug. Despite all of his new perspective on the life his son lead and all of Jen's gentle, and not-so-gentle, coaching, he still had trouble showing his emotions.

Konstatin placed his hands on Soul's shoulders and looked him up and down. "You look well." He smiled. "I am very glad. I did not know that you would be sent to rescue us. Or if any rescue would be come at all. Thank you, Soul."

Soul wiped his eyes and sniffed. "Of course we'd come for you, Dad." He searched for more words, but none came.

After an awkward silence, Black Star took his cue. "So, who's hungry?" He shouted to the room. A general cheer in the affirmative answered his question.

Soul had never been more thankful for his friend's impatient exuberance.

* * *

><p>The party went on for some time, well after the sun had set. The extravagant array of food that Jen had supplied, as well as the snacks others had brought, were thoroughly ravaged. The punch, soda and other drinks were decimated. The alcohol for those of age was similarly drained, no thanks to Black Star's many lies to the effect that he was twenty four years old.<p>

Spirit and Kami said their goodbyes late that night and headed home, leaving only Soul, Maka, Blair, Wes, Jen and Konstatin.

After cleaning up the remnants of the festivities, Maka pleaded exhaustion and went off to bed. Blair made a similar claim and did the same. Jen opted to have another glass of wine and watch TV. This left the males of the Evans family free to sit and talk at the kitchen table.

"Here ya go, Soul." Wes said as he sat down, placing a glass in front of him.

"Thanks, Wes." Soul took a sip and nearly gagged. "What's in this?" He managed to rasp.

"It's a Coke and rum." Wes smiled.

"You know I'm underage."

"Yes, but if your parents consent, you are allowed to drink in private." Konstatin said as he sat down. He placed a glass of a clear liquid with small stones [2] in it on the table. "While the state of Nevada may not consider you a full adult, I do." He said with a small smile.

"Thanks." Soul said mildly as he took another sip of the beverage. He nearly coughed again.

"Takes some getting used to." Wes smiled as he drank for his own glass.

"So..." Soul prompted his brother and father.

"Maka mentioned that you were still having some trouble with the last mission you went on." Wes answered. "Dad and I thought that we should offer you some help. If we can."

Soul took another sip from his drink. "I appreciate it. I really do. I just don't know where to start. The whole thing is just so fucked up-" He paused and looked at his father, to see if this was really a "speak freely" sort of situation. Konstatin nodded his assent. "-that I don't know what bothered me the most.

"A witch commandeered my dad's plane, fed some of the passengers to her weapon after drugging them then zapped all of us with varying kinds of torture magic bullshit. I spent what felt like days of being tortured, I broke and gave up saving Maka, I struck a deal with a little demon that lives in my head and controls Black Blood that I was infected with, broke out of the spell and turned the witch into a vegetable while breaking my arm. Then her little kid, weapon and pre-kishin tried to kill me. Oh! And then I lost a month of my life in a fucking coma!"

Soul's voice rose as he spoke, more and more anger working into his words as he went, whipping himself into a fury.

Wes stared at his brother for a moment and took another drink from his glass. "That about covers it..." He ventured. "None of that-"

"Was my fault. I know." Soul finished and sipped from his drink. "Doesn't make it any less bullshit. I'm a fucking Death Scythe. One of the best. Lord Death's personal weapon if he ever needs me."

"And that makes you not a human?" Konstatin asked with an edge to his voice.

"I..." Soul began. Konstatin held a hand up.

"To be human is to make mistakes, to fail, to be imperfect. You did not fail, you saved many of the passengers. Myself included." Konstatin sipped his vodka. "You faced a foe who did not fight honorably and was half-mad. She tortured you and you were not able to resist the torture."

Soul stared back at his father. His face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "How can you just say that? Like its some clean-cut thing? Like I didn't give up on everything and everyone? Do you even have a clue what she did to me?" Soul growled.

"You never really knew my father." Konstatin continued as if Soul had said nothing. "He fought in the last great war. He was captured at one point and tortured. Father never spoke of it to anyone except on his death bed. He told me how he had failed. Failed his country and himself when he had broken after weeks of being beaten, electrocuted, cut, water boarded, burned, humiliated and even raped by a particularly sick man."

Konstatin took a long gulp from his glass. "He told me that he had never forgiven himself for his failure. He told me that he had been a failure as a father for never showing me how proud he was of me, of who I had become, because he did not want to show weakness. He begged and pleaded me to forgive him for his failures.

"You see, Soul, I have a good idea what your sort of ordeal can do to a man. I saw it in Father's eyes as he begged me to forgive him. A lifetime of reliving his torture had broken him inside. His pain had never stopped because he relived his failures in his nightmares."

Soul and Wes both gaped at their father. They had never once heard about their grandfather's service or his deathbed plea.

Konstatin's face softened as he reached across the table and placed his hand on his son's. "Please, son, I have seen what happens to a man who does not make his peace. You survived. Maka and your friends survived. Many of the other victims survived. I survived. You did an amazing thing. You need to let this go."

Soul looked down at the table. "I..." He halted as tears welled in his eyes again.

"If you are to move on with your life, you must let it go. You will never be the same, I will not lie to you. What has happened to you cannot be undone. It is a part of you now. You must embrace that fact, not let it rule you, and move on with your life.

"You are young and you will have a family soon. You must not do as my father did and close yourself to your family."

Soul looked up at his father and saw that he was actually crying.

Soul pushed the door to his room open, watching it open a moment before he walked inside. Alcohol, Soul decided, made the world an interesting place; even watching a door slowly swing open could take up your full attention.

_One foot in front of the other, now..._

Soul staggered over to his bed, leaving the door wide open. He carefully picked a path around the various piles that accumulated on the floor and fell face first onto his bed without bothering to undress himself.

_Damn. Missed the pillow._ He thought as groped for the pillow and pulled it underneath his head with a gratified sigh.

Sleep pulled him in so fast he didn't even notice it.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 15, Day 7<strong>

"Soul?"

The weapon groaned.

"Soul?"

He opened his eyes to see who was waking him up. That turned out to be the biggest mistake of his last twenty four hours. Light... hurt. It hurt a lot. It touched off a fireworks display behind his hastily closed eyes. Nevertheless, he sat up in bed and attempted to open his eyes again.

"Ow."

"Are you ok?" Maka asked, half concerned, half amused.

"I let Wes mix my drinks last night. So, no."

Maka made a snorting sound. "No one made you drink."

Soul groaned again. "Made it easier to talk."

"So, you feeling better now? Did you get it out of your system?" Maka tilted her head to one side, staring at him with an implacable expression.

Soul rubbed his temple absentmindedly. "As long as you aren't going to ask for in-depth coverage, yeah. I'm cool."

He felt his meister looking into him through their link for a moment. With a mental groan of frustration, Soul resigned himself and let her do as she pleased. _Kinda feels like my head's a filing cabinet._

"Stop whining." Maka smiled sweetly at him, apparently satisfied.

Soul flopped back onto his bed. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after eleven."

"I feel like I could sleep for another ten years..." Soul whimpered as he pulled his pillow over his face.

"Come on. No sympathy for those who hurt themselves. Up and at 'em, Soul."

"You're not letting me back to sleep, are you?"

"Nope."

"Fuck."

* * *

><p>Soul gasped and shouted a few choice expletives as the cold water of the shower hit him. While it did nothing for his throbbing skull, it did get him moving, albeit at a snail's pace. His body wash and shampoo did wonders, shockingly enough, in waking him up.<p>

Ten minutes later, Soul walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of shorts and drying his hair.

"I never really got the whole thing about taking a shower to clear up a hangover." He said to the room. He stopped dead as he heard Wes laugh.

"You think _that_ was a hangover, little bro?" Wes asked, still laughing. "Wait until your twenty-first."

Soul lowered the towel and stared at his brother. "These get _worse_?" He asked incredulously.

"Indeed. You have merely been introduced to the world of alcohol." Konstatin said from behind his copy of the _Daily Death_ newspaper.

"And you shouldn't get too used to it, dear. You're a bit young to drink still." Jen smiled at him from the table. Her eyes made it no secret that she was not entirely on board with her husband and eldest son's tactics in helping Soul. But, what was done was done. There wasn't much she could do now, could she?

Soul let the towel fall to his side as he fully realized that his family was sitting at the kitchen table in his apartment. Blair was behind them, helping Maka with cooking lunch.

"Say, that's a hell of a scar, Soul." Wes observed, nodding to the long-healed gash along his chest.

The weapon looked down, and absently put his hand on the scar. "Yeah. You could say that."

"How'd you get it?" Wes asked casually. "If you don't mind talking about it."

"It's cool." Soul smiled. "Long story short, when Maka and I were in Italy when we ran into a girl with some unique abilities. Keeping it short, she tried to kill Maka and I would up catching the cut instead."

"And the girl is this Crona I keep hearing about?" Wes asked. "You're friends with the person who cut you like that?"

Konstatin lowered the paper to get a good look at his son and the scar. He said nothing, but raised an eyebrow before holding the paper in front of him again.

"It's complicated..." Soul began.

"Crona was under control of a witch. Her mother, more or less. We never really asked and didn't want to know." Maka answered from in front of the fridge.

"So this witch got taken care of, then." Wes assumed.

"Well... that's also complicated." Soul replied.

"Medusa? The _school nurse_?" Wes sputtered. "This place is more insane than Blair let on." He spared a glance at his girlfriend, who was suddenly very focused on the bacon she was cooking.

"Well, from what I was told, Nurse Medusa has been stabilized herself. Thanks to a professor who has some... issues himself." Jen supplied.

"So this whole city is one person going off the rails away from exploding into a frenzy of magic, demons and severed limbs."

Soul immediately tried to deny the statement, but couldn't honestly say it was wrong. "It's not that simple. But... well, we manage well enough."

Wes laughed. "I'm not going to run out screaming. I just want to make sure I understand what the city a bit more."

"Well," Soul grinned and spread his arms. "Welcome to Death City, Nevada; home of all the weirdos, crazies and nutjobs in North America."

Soul leaned back and patted his stomach, barely managing to stifle a belch. "That was good, Maka, Blair."

"Thanks." Maka mumbled as she leaned over the table with her eyes struggling to stay open. "Jen? What do I do when my stomach feels like Vesuvius[3] on a bad day when I can't stay awake?"

Jen leaned over and rubbed the girl's back. "Wait to feel better and sleep on your side, wait to throw up then sleep or make yourself throw up then sleep. You aren't going to go with option three for a whole lot of reasons I won't list. So, feeling better or throwing up followed by sleep are your options."

Maka sighed. "I'm very angry with you for removing option three."

The older woman chuckled. "You've got more than your comfort to think about, dear."

"I know." Was the pouted reply.

"Well, that excludes sight-seeing for the afternoon." Wes said. "So, stay in, let Maka feel better and find a way to entertain ourselves. Gotcha."

Soul glared daggers at his brother for the flippant tone, earning an apology.

While the two Evans brothers cleaned up after lunch, the others shifted to the living room, hoping to find themselves something good on TV. Failing that, they hoped for something entertaining. Failing _that_, there really was no plan.

"You know, you guys can go out and see the city while I stay with Maka. Blair could show you around. She knows the place about as well as we do." Soul said as he walked into the somewhat packed living room, looking for a seat. Maka kindly curled herself up a bit to make room for him on the couch. Once seated, he found himself being used as a combination footrest and heater.

"I know it a bit better, actually." Blair said proudly. She deflated a little bit. "But... some of those places might not be too interesting for humans."

Wes laughed and hugged her, kissing his girlfriend who seemed mollified.

Jen looked thoughtful while Konstatin remained stoically silent. The two were still coming to terms with Blair and her relationship with Wes. Magic was all well and good, but... well, she was a _cat_. Albeit with enough magic to allow herself to assume the form of a human. Wrapping their heads around that would take time.

Soul frowned in thought. Humans and cats. Normally genetically, and physically incompatible, but magic threw that out the window. Any offspring from such a union would be interesting. Humans? Kittens? Some combination thereof? Would they have their mother's knack for magic?

Maka chuckled under her breath. Soul felt it more than heard it. She must have guessed his thoughts well enough and found his confusion funny.

_Well, what do _you_ think would happen?_ Soul inquired.

Maka shrugged. _I don't know. But it will be interesting no matter what._

Soul smiled, agreeing with her.

Nothing about them or their families was anything even in the same realm as normal. Two concert musicians, a weapon engaged to a meister whose parents were also weapon and meister, and another concert musician who was dating a magic-using cat that happened to also be a woman. The Osbourne family had _nothing_ on them.

* * *

><p>Sometime later, Blair led her little tour group off into the city for some sightseeing. Soul could not <em>wait<em> to hear about that trip when they got back later that night.

With the living room now devoid of crowding, Maka stretched herself out on the couch, still using Soul as a heater.

Soul stared at the TV, his eyes unfocused. He used the first real bit of downtime that he'd had since he woke up in the hospital. Had it really been two weeks?

There was the therapy and the shrink. That alone counted for something like a year. How that much physical strain and mental purgatory managed to cram itself into fourteen small days was a wonder in and of itself.

Topping the whole thing was his dad's revelations last night. And really, he wasn't even sure where to begin processing the tale of his grandfather's nightmare story. How do you even begin to assimilate that kind of knowledge? The only thing that Soul really knew about what he'd been told was that he had to deal with his comparatively smaller demons.

"Soul?" Maka's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Mm?"

"You ok?"

He sent a reassuring smile to his lover. "Yeah. Just thinking."

A silence filled the space between them for a moment. "I'm glad you're back."

"Literally or figuratively?" Soul asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Maka stretched her entire body. "Both." She grunted.

Soul chuckled and set a hand on one of her feet, now extending past the end of the short couch, and gently stroked the top of it. "I'm glad to be home. Hospitals... not really my idea of a cool place to hang out."

"Good place to lay around and read. You know when the therapists aren't trying to break you." Maka supplied, hoping desperately that her sarcasm wouldn't send him back to wherever he'd been for the last few weeks.

The meister let out a small breath when he laughed. "You _would_ say that, Bookworm." He gently squeezed her foot and continued to play with it absentmindedly. "No matter what, I'm glad to be out of there and back in my own house." He looked at her with his usual toothy smile. "Back in my own bed. With my woman." The smile shifted slightly, turning far more devious.

"Oh?" Maka teased, a devilish quirk of her own in her smile. "And why would you want that?"

"I 'unno. Maybe because I haven't had the time, strength, will or privacy to 'take care of' myself."

She snorted and glanced at the TV. "Speak for yourself. Going on six weeks now, I haven't had anything in my nethers that didn't run on batteries."

Soul started, like she'd hit him and made a choked noise. "Oh God! I can't know that!" He wailed.

Maka chuckled and looked back to him, her smile all sorts of devious now. She locked eyes on him as she ever-so-slowly inched her hand down between her thighs. Slender fingers gently pulled her skirt up just enough to show her - Soul gulped - black lace panties.

"I think," Soul gulped again, "That I could stand to see a little more."

Maka's eyes never left Soul's face as he watched her fingers inch closer and closer to the black lace covering her most private place. His complexion grew more red with each little stroke and caress of her fingers.

_He looks like it's his first time._ Maka thought to herself in a lustful glee, barely managing to turn her giggle into a seductress' chuckle.

The laugh caught the weapon's attention and he looked at her face. His heart stopped for several painfully long seconds and his breath hitched in his throat. Not once, not in all his intimate moments with Maka, had he ever seen her so... _hungry_. Her emerald eyes were dark, glazed over with pure lust and need. Her eyes met his as she chewed on her lower lip and whimpered softly.

"_Soul_..." She whimpered.

Thousands of years of instincts were finally set free from his paralyzed state and let their presence be known as a bestial growl left his lips.

He was instantly on her, his lips crushed against hers, his hips grinding against hers. Soul bit her lower lip with another fierce growl then licked the suddenly tender flesh. Under his assault, similar instincts were awoken within the meister as she growled and bit back.

Soul disentangled himself from Maka's legs and then picked her up, gently as he still remembered that she was with child, and carried her bridal-style to his bed. He set her down with little fanfare, but gently enough to satisfy the small rational part of his mind, which was promptly told to shut up while there was sexing to be done.

Any snide remarks the rational part of Soul's mind was about to make were to be forever unknown as even it blushed when Maka moaned his name in a very needing, lustful pant, as she held her arms out to him, begging him to hold her tightly and fuck her senseless.

Soul grinned at her and stripped his shirt off, throwing it somewhere behind him. Climbing onto the bed, resuming his place between her legs, he kissed his lover again. He ground his almost painfully hard erection against her as he invaded her mouth with his tongue and immediately sought to subdue its counterpart.

Maka gave a small scream around Soul's mouth as her senses were being overwhelmed. Her hips bucked back hard against him, earning her a cocky, hungry growl from her partner.

Soul broke the kiss and began to kiss, nibble and lick his way down to her collarbone. His efforts were hampered by her shirt getting in his way. It would have to go. With an astonishing feat of nimble fingers, he unbuttoned her shirt in only a couple of seconds without breaking a button. Soul chuckled triumphantly as Maka's smooth flesh was only covered by her bra now. That would have to go too.

Maka squeaked in surprise when his hands roughly slid underneath her and undid her bra. She let him help her take the unneeded clothes off with all the patience she could muster. That patience was instantly rewarded when Soul lowered himself to gently lay on her, keeping most of his weight on his arms. He recaptured her lips and ground their hips together with more gusto than before.

The sensation of his skin on hers after so much time apart was nearly enough to make Maka cum then and there. Soul's nearly frantic grinding and kissing were enough to do just that. Her whole body began to shudder as ripples of electricity coursed from head to toe and back again. She broke the kiss and wrapped her arms around Soul's neck, both hands grabbing fistfuls of his hair as she held onto him as tightly as she could.

Soul winced at the rough treatment but smiled as he felt her convulsing against his body and glimpsed her pleasure over their soul resonance, and found that he was very pleased with what he saw. He held her, slowing his movements as her orgasm faded, and drank in the sound of her soft panting in his ear. He fucking _loved_ those cute, sexy little gasps of hers.

Once her orgasm was past, Soul set her back down on the bed and kissed her softly. "Better than something run on batteries, huh?" He chuckled, his face only a few inches from hers.

Maka laughed softly with him. "You have _no_ idea." Her eyes still held the embers of her burning lust, and they were growing back to the blaze they had been a moment ago. "But I want _more_ than a toy can give me." She hungrily recaptured his lips in a quick, violent move, he hands holding his head.

Soul made a startled noise into the kiss as he was put on the defensive. His own need for release reminding him that it was still there after the moment of relative tenderness.

With a deftness that really shouldn't have shocked Soul by now, Maka unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She shoved his jeans and boxers down far enough to make his erection pop out of its cloth prison. Leaving him no time to marvel at the swiftness of her act, Maka not-so-gently grasped his cock.

Soul groaned into the kiss loudly. The curious sensation of her cool fingers holding onto the hottest part of his body was oddly intoxicating.

She broke the kiss and looked into his half-lidded eyes as she wrapped her legs around him. Her little half-grin and the look in her eyes made him shudder. Those eyes promised pleasure he'd never experienced before, and the smile told him that she was going to love this just as much as he was.

Using her legs, Maka pulled Soul in. She slid her panties, now thoroughly soaked, aside and positioned his burning hardon against her. With nothing being said, Soul slid into her welcoming embrace as she squeezed his hips closer with her legs.

Stars exploded behind Maka's eyes as he slid into her, all the way to the hilt. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she had experienced having something so hot inside of her. His girth filled her, stretching the delicate flesh. It felt as if all of her senses were focused on every fold and bump where they were connected.

The two lovers groaned as they finally reunited after their time apart.

Soul collapsed down to his elbows, willing himself with all of his might not to cum. It had been a damned long time since he'd had the time, energy or privacy for self gratification and even longer since he'd made love to his woman. All it would take now would be one small twitch to set him off.

And then Maka sighed in bliss.

That single, minute movement triggered a tidal wave of pleasure in Soul, sending him over the edge. His sudden spasm and the heat of his release brought Maka with him. She grabbed onto his bare back, her nails clawing at his skin.

"Fuck!" Soul gasped, sounding almost angry. "That was quick."

Maka laughed in his ear, still holding onto him, as the tremors faded. "You think that was fast? I'm in the lead, two to one."

His anger disappeared and he chuckled. "I didn't know this was a competition. Maybe I should try and be more of a quick shot then."

Dropping the joke, Maka wrapped her arms around his head. "Don't get so down on yourself. It's been how long?" Soul could practically hear her smile as she wiggled a little. "And... you're still good to go..." She purred.

"That I am." He smiled.

Slowly, Soul began to move his hips, a little at a time. It was incredible how sensitive he was after his orgasm. Every little move was enough to send a strange tingling sensation up his body. Slowly, the feeling receded and he began to move with more force as he caught a second wind.

Soul's slow, gentle motions were having the opposite effect on Maka. Each motion set off a mental fireworks display that grew with his movements. It wasn't long before her mind went blank and a torrent of pleasure overtook her. Without realizing it, her hands had returned to Soul's back where her nails scratched and gouged him.

The primitive part of Soul's mind took over once again as he growled at the pain on his back and his pleasure. If she wanted to be rough, he would give her what she wanted. He increased the pace dramatically.

Maka lost herself to the pleasure. Each thrust made her more sensitive and kept pushing her to new heights of ecstasy. Her near-continuous orgasms did not go unnoticed by Soul, it was very difficult to miss her screaming his name over and over. His rapid pace and her rippling, tightening walls gripping onto him were bringing him closer and closer to climax.

With a guttural cry, he forced himself as deep as he could go, gently bumping against Maka's womb. The meister gasped loudly and locked her legs around Soul as hard as she could while pulling his torso as close to her as possible. She bit his shoulder to stifle the scream as she came one final time, ensuring that Soul too came.

* * *

><p>"Son... of a bitch." Soul panted, lying on the bed next to Maka. "Was it always that good?"<p>

After waiting for a moment for a reply and getting none, Soul turned his head and looked at his lover.

Her breathing was returning to normal, but her eyes were rolled back into her head.

Curious, Soul waved a hand over her half-closed eyes. Nothing.

"Holy shit..." He breathed in astonishment. "I fucked her unconsious." He laughed to himself, feeling far better after his, to him, embarrassingly quick first orgasm.

After a few moments, Maka stirred. "What happened?" She asked dreamily.

"Ah, she returns." Soul grinned.

"Did... Did I pass out?" She asked.

Soul laughed. "Oh yeah. After the way you were screaming, I would think so." He watched as a cute blush crept up her cheeks.

"I was screaming?"

"Over and ever. Then you bit me." Soul turned to show his wounded shoulder.

Maka paled. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry Soul!"

"Why?" He tried in vain to look down where she had bit his shoulder near his neck.

"You're bleeding."

"Hm?" He crushed the injury and hissed as it stung. His hand came away with a little blood on it. He stared at it for a moment and shrugged. "No big deal. It was _so_ worth it."

Maka sputtered and tried to apologize over and over for hurting him, despite his reassurances that he was fine. He gently climbed over her to go put a bandage on the wound. He stopped when he heard her squeak in surprise.

Soul turned to face her with one eyebrow raised.

She only pointed to his back.

It wasn't until he got to the bathroom and saw his back with the aid of the mirror.

"Holy shit." He breathed.

His back had so many scratches on it that he couldn't count them. Many of them were bleeding. Some were just deeper red marks while others had a few trickles flowing from them.

After bandaging his shoulder which was indeed bleeding, but not as much as Maka had made it sound, he walked back into his room. He leaned against the door frame, his pants secured again, and smiled.

"You, Maka, are a freaking wildcat."

Torn between feeling bad for injuring him and the clearly playful smile on his face, Maka just stared. Her eyes drifted to the scar running the length of his torso and then to his smiling face. A metric ton[4] of conflicting emotions fell on her.

Soul sighed with a small smile as Maka began to tear up. He walked over and hugged her.

"Fucking hormones." She sniffled.

"It's alright, babe. I'm not hurt. I'm not in agony. It was totally worth it. Just... clip your nails sometime soon, ok?"

The latent tears became laughter. "Damn you for making me laugh like this, Soul."

Soul released her and kissed her softly. "That's my job. It's what I'm here for... Though the benefits are pretty cool."

She kissed him softly back. "Thanks, Soul."

"So, care to help me clean this up?"

"Sure, you ass."

* * *

><p>It was dark by the time the tour group arrived home.<p>

"We're back..." Jen managed as she struggled to take off her jacket.

"How was it?" Soul called from the couch, laying down on his side. Damn. It hurt just to look over his shoulder. Once the endorphin rush wore off, his back had really started to hurt. That, and the disinfectant Maka had insisted on pouting on him.

"It was... exhausting." Konstatin managed as he walked into the living room.

"I had fun! Let's do that again sometime!" Blair burbled as she walked behind Konstatin.

"Let's just wait a while for that, Blair." Wes said tiredly as he sat down in the kitchen. "My feet are killing me."

"Aww, but we only saw half the city." Blair pouted. "I want to show you the rest."

"And you can, sweetheart. Just some time not this week. I think I lost ten pounds."

"Sounds like you guys got to see the city." Soul observed dryly, trying to hide a smile.

Jen flopped into an armchair and sighed. "Next time, let's use those rolling things. With the handlebars?"

"A segway?" Maka offered.

"Yes. One of those. One of those _turbocharged_. So, how was your afternoon?"

The weapon and mesiter blushed deeply. Jen raised an eyebrow and Konstatin studiously ignored their reaction and pretended to pay attention to the TV.

"It was good." Soul said after a moment. "Nice and relaxing."

Maka nodded in agreement.

"Uh huh." Wes said, leaning on the couch behind Soul, causing him to whip around to face his brother suddenly behind him. He winced at the pain.

"What?" Soul managed to hiss as the pain subsided.

"I'm not going to ask why your back is all bandaged up. I can see it through your shirt, little brother. Just be more careful with... whatever the hell you were doing this afternoon."

Suddenly Blair was behind Wes, looking around his shoulder at Soul and Maka. Her smile was identical to Patty's "I know a secret" smile. "You know, Soul, I can give you an enchantment so Maka doesn't scratch up your back the next time you-"

"I am trying to watch this TV program. Do not finish that sentence." Konstatin didn't even have to turn around to silence the cat.

Soul stared at the back of his father's head.

Soul stared at the back of his father's head._ Yep. This is my life. Good to be back._

* * *

><p><strong>[1]: I saw this first hand when my dad was in the hospital a couple of years back. It was actually pretty disturbing how emotional the morphine made him. He would close himself off one minute and then cry for no reason the next. It was hard helping him work through it all.<strong>

**[2]: Whiskey Stones. Keep a drink cool without diluting it like ice would. Normally reserved for really good spirits and the people who enjoy them. They work astonishingly well for vodka as well.**

**[3]: Mount Vesuvius in Italy. Famously erupted in 79 AD destroying the Roman city of Pompeii.**

**[4]: For my non-American, non-Imperial measurement system friends, the saying "a metric ton" is an expression for something more than a ton, but less than a shitton, fuckton, megaton or a goddamn ton.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, I am alive.**

**I'm not even going to bother giving reasons for this being so late. I've got none. I'm just lazy after I get home from work, and watching anime and smoking hookah is more relaxing than writing. I actually would have gotten this done a month ago if I hadn't forgotten my one real rule: don't stop writing during smut. You will have a bitch of a time getting back into the mindset needed to continue writing.**

**All bullshit aside, this is just another filler chapter. I'm working on what is going to happen next, but I have no real ideas. I can't do much with another enemy showing up and having to be battled without leaving Maka out of the action, and that just doesn't seem too right to me. Most other things I'm coming up with are just flavorless drama. But, don't you worry, my friends, I will come up with something.**

**I know that things got a bit heavy with Konstatin's story, but I was trying to think of a seriously terrible series of events that could happen to someone that could be used as an example for Soul. Sometimes harsh warnings do more good than all the gentle talk in the world. **

**To all of you who are still excited about this, your number probably being around five by this point, I'm sorry it took so long. But at least you got some juicy smut out of the deal, right?**


	22. Deals and Dangers

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, nor do I own any other works or properties mentioned in this story**

**Editorial status: rough**

_**Nine to Life**_

**Chapter 22: Deals and Dangers**

* * *

><p><strong>Special bonus omake!<strong>

"Dude, Soul, why the hell aren't we just going in?" Black Star asked.

"Because he's actually doing something for once." Soul answered as he pulled the binoculars from his eyes and handed them to Black Star.

"Well, I'll be. No games, no anime, no movies, no porn... he's actually writing!"

"Ok, I know we're like a half mile away, but he's _got the window open._ Could you yell that much louder?"

"Oh, I'm with Black Star on this one." Maka said from the back seat of the car. "I want this bastard to write more before we kill him." Malice dripped from her words.

"Wait... He... It looks like he's going to play something!" Black Star reported.

"We move." Maka growled.

The unsuspecting target sat in the plush recliner in front of the TV and turned on the game console. He was reaching for the headset when two figures burst through the screen door leading to his balcony.

With a yelp of surprise, he watched the two forms come to a halt and turn towards him. One was a girl of moderate height with pigtails and a long coat. The other was a short boy with blue hair.

"Ah hell." The man said. "Looks like you found me." His tone was resigned.

Maka took several furious steps forward, grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him out of the chair. "I've. Been. Pregnant. For. Three. And. A. Half. _YEARS!_" Maka screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Leaving me like _this_," she gestured to her stomach, "for so damned long!"

"Well, I-"

"And what about your readers, you miserable ass?!" She demanded. "They haven't seen an update to the main story in over a year!"

"I-"

"And you've read so many things in that time! Time you could have spent writing! And the _games_. Oh, the games you've wasted your time on. Like that third attempt at _Record of Agarest War_, or _Final Fantasy XIII_ or all the time sunk into playing shooters online?!" Maka finished, her breath ragged.

"Look, I get it. I'm scum. I've disappointed people and made your lives hell. I'm working on it. Promise. I just ate dinner, I'm gonna do some relaxing and I'll finish chapter 22 tomorrow. I'll have it posted and everything. If not? Well, you guys clearly know where I live now, so you can always come back and-"

"Oh no, dude." Black Star jumped into the conversation. "We're staying over."

"Oh." The man responded.

"Until you're done with the story." Maka added with wicked glee.

"Oh... Shit."

* * *

><p><strong>Week 17, Day 4<strong>

Fall was well and truly behind them now. Winter, in all of its temperate fury was upon Death City. Really, all that meant was that the temperature dropped into the 50s and 60s [1] and the days got shorter. Generally, the kind of weather that made afternoons after school hard to bear. "Lazy weather" Jen had called it once, the kind of weather that makes you want to nap the afternoon away while laying on the couch and getting nothing done.

Soul yawned noisily as he lay on the couch and stared blankly at the TV. He was pretty sure that he hadn't heard a word that came from the magical picture box in the last fifteen minutes. Now that he thought about it, what _had_ he been thinking about for that time? _Huh_...

"Maka?" He called to the apartment in general. "Is it possible to go brain-dead from watching TV?"

The meister trudged into the living room and unceremoniously seated herself in an armchair. "I don't think so, but there's a good chance of that happening for asking me dumb questions right now." Her deadpan delivery belied the very real threat. Her eyes were ringed red from sleep deprivation and the occasional unsolicited bout of tears, her hair was a mess and she was wearing an ancient yet comfy pair of pajama pants and Soul's old Death City Obol's hoody[2].

"Got it." Soul apologized quickly. _Damn_. _She really looks like Hell right now. I mean, Maka doesn't even _like_ football._ His concern was tempered by a troubling certainty that saying that aloud would land him in a world of trouble.

"Your opinions, and your wisdom in keeping them unsaid, have been noted. You're getting better at this." Maka said sardonically.

"Living with the thought police is a bit taxing at times, but I know that your rule is a benevolent one." Soul responded and made a conspicuous show of going back to mindless stupor. Maka accepted the little jab made a vague grunt of approval.

Despite his best efforts, Soul's mind began to wander after a few moments. It had been something like four months since he and Maka had begun to maintain their soul resonance at all times. Their connection itself was odd; being a two-way street between their souls. Sure, it conveyed emotions from weapon to meister and vice-versa, but thoughts, or at least some vague semblance of thoughts could pass between them. That was the part that both overjoyed Soul and unnerved him at the same time. Since they had established the link on a continual basis, the two hadn't had a real fight. That part was nice, since they both understood each other. That didn't stop Maka for chastising him when he had an errant or disagreeable thought and provided Soul with a cheat sheet for all the ways to poke fun at his lover.

The understanding and near-instant way of communicating was nice like that, but it was damned hard to have a private thought at all. With Maka's hormones riding roughshod over her emotions, it played merry hob with him as well, like getting hit in the face with reverb from a microphone from time to time. He'd gotten mostly used to that, like living next to a train track that operated at odd times. He even managed to handle the odd intense burst of arousal that Maka would get, and promptly bid him to help her take care of it, with grace.

However not being able to think what he wanted as "loud" as he wanted at any point in time, lest he raise Maka's ire... it was draining. Maka made it even more of a difficulty by not even trying to minimize the thoughts and emotions that she blasted Soul with on a daily basis.

It wasn't that Soul blamed her for what was going on between them, given what she was going through. He understood enough to know that what was happening wasn't really in her control and that she was doing all that she could to merely maintain the semblance of control that she showed the rest of the world. For the most part, he took things as they happened and didn't complain about it.

A sniffle coming from Maka's chair pulled Soul from his introspection. He looked over at his fiancé and nearly jumped when he saw her. She was looking directly at him, tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to fight them back. A lump materialized in his gut. Did she hear his musings and assume something terrible or was it something else? Soul's mind went into overdrive, replaying his thoughts and trying to figure out what he'd done to upset her and how to make it right.

"Thank you, Soul." Maka sniffled. "I know it's hard on you, but thank you."

_Oh thank God. I'm not a horrible monster that makes my pregnant woman cry by being an asshole. Just one that makes my pregnant woman cry because I'm _not_ being an asshole about it._ Of the two scenarios, he was entirely alright with being in the second category, but it broke his heart to see, and _feel_, her crying.

Soul got up from his comfortable position on the couch and walked over to her. He knelt down and hugged Maka as tenderly as he could. In truth, he wanted to hold her as hard as he could, just to let her know he was there, but that might have made things worse. _That and her boobs are pretty tender. _Always_ watch out for the boobs_.

Maka's little sobs merged with a laugh now. "How do you always do that, Soul? Make me laugh like that?" She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips.

"It's not really something that I _try_ to do. It just, I dunno, happens." He offered with a small smile.

"I'm glad." Maka sniffed as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her oversized hoody.

"Well, with crisis five eighty-seven averted for the day, why don't you join me on the couch and help me with that whole 'TV making you brain-dead' question."

"Sure." Maka sniffed again, breathing out her brief emotional attack.

Soul lay down on the couch, voluntarily filling his "human heater" role. Maka lay down next to him, forming her body to his. A sigh of simple bliss escaped her lips as her lover wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his chin atop her head.

* * *

><p><em>This might actually be more dangerous. <em>Soul thought absently as his eyelids grew heavy. _Lazy weather _ and_ snuggling._

_Faint, distant jazz. it grew louder and more detailed. Soul became able to detect the faint scratches and pops of an old record spinning on an even older record player._

_"Really? We're doing this again?" Soul groaned as he opened his eyes. He was sitting in a red velvet chair in the corner of the Black Room._

_"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" The little red imp chided him, smiling as he swayed in time to the beat of the music._

_"Not sure 'parasite that induces insanity and super abilities' counts as friend, but let's leave that one on the table for now. Why am I here?" _

_Soul stood and looked around the room. He momentarily marveled at the suit he was always wearing in here. The material was insanely comfortable and didn't exist in the real world. He'd looked online for hours and even consulted the best tailor in Death City. If he'd had a suit like this as a kid, he might not have minded sitting through all of those recitals, concerts and fancy dinner parties._

_"I thought it would be good to see you again. Talk over our exact relationship. It seems to have changed over the years and I want to make one thing clear." The little imp replied. His oily voice was oddly serious as he climbed up onto the chair opposite Soul's._

_"Looks like you fixed the place up nice since the last time I was here." Soul commented absently as he walked around slowly. He brushed a curtain aside. "Is that a flat screen?" He turned and looked at the imp, one eyebrow arched._

_"I had some extra cash left over from the insurance claim. I get amazing reception in here." The imp replied conversationally._

_"Uh huh." He released the curtain, consciously ignored the implications of what the imp had just revealed, and faced his host. "So, what is it you want to say?"_

_The imp cozied himself in the plush chair and lit up a cigar. He gave Soul a devious little grin as he exhaled the smoke at the ceiling. "When I first came here, you had no real way to hold me. You tried, but you always came to me when you and your little lady-friend needed to add a little... madness to the mix." The imp smiled and took another pull on the cigar._

_"And?" Soul asked impatiently._

_"Lately, you and her have been acting too... in concert, being too... understanding. You don't get riled up anymore! Nothing for me to exploit and use to have my fun!"_

_"I'll take that as a compliment."_

_"You _would_." The imp huffed derisively. "But, not too long ago, we did some impressive work together..."A troubling, toothy grin spread over the imp's face. "And that got me to thinking."_

_Soul just stared, letting the little bastard have fun with his theatrics._

_"Why should I deal with trying to find cracks in a wall that you and your lady friend patch up before I can make any decent headway? No. But I'm not the sort who gives up on his dreams either. Your line of work puts you in situations, all the time, where you get to fight desperate battles against things that would make normal people go mad just _looking_ at them. But sometimes, you and your lady need a bit of madness of your own to fight that kind of madness..."_

_"Still not seeing your point, dude."_

_"As we both know, I can, and love, to provide that madness. Why should I fight a losing battle trying to get out when you always let me out when you need that extra little... push?"_

_Soul sniffed. "Not for long."_

_"No, sadly." The imp conceded. "But I do get to have my fun."_

_"Where are you going with this..."_

_"I want to make a deal. A contract of sorts. I'll always be around. You know that you can't be rid of me. I'm not even sure that's what you really want anymore. But, since we're together forever like this, why not call on me when you need a little... madness?"_

_"What, and risk you infecting Maka or Emi?" Soul growled._

_"No! Oh no. Nothing as nefarious as that." The imp held his hands out defensively. "I've got as much time as you do, after all. Besides, I can't transfer myself in any permanent way like that, otherwise I would have done that in the past. You lady would make for a _most_ interesting host."_

_Soul snorted. "Assuming you can dodge books all day."_

_The imp deflated a little. "There is _that_, yes. But we're straying from the point. Your lady sees to it that I can't maintain control for too long. She's far too guarded and far too used to my influence to be easily overwhekmed like she once was. But I want to be let to have my fun from time to time. Not necessarily in situations like last time where you had nothing to lose by trusting me."_

_"You're not being as evil as you used to be."_

_The imp let out a long sigh. "Because being 'evil' as you call it gets me nowhere. All I want is to let the madness flow. That's all that I've ever wanted since I came to be here. If I can persuade you to let me have my fun from time to time, without being dishonest with you, what's the harm?"_

_"The only assurance that I ever have that you don't take over entirely is Maka. And she'll be affected too. This isn't just me here, pal. More than Maka, too."_

_"Oh... I know. That's why I've brought the lady here as well." The imp gestured to a curtain which parted, revealing Maka._

_Soul's breath hitched in his throat. She wore a variant on the dress she wore the last time that she had joined him in the Black Room. Now, it was a gown, flowing freely from just below her enlarged breasts, stopping just above her ankles, doing a very good job of hiding her growing belly. It also had a deeper neckline that showed just enough cleavage to draw the eye._

_"Oh would you stop oggling, please?" The imp demanded impatiently. Maka giggled slightly as Soul jumped a little. "I trust you heard everything?"_

_"Yes, I heard." Maka replied as she walked to Soul._

_"And your thoughts?" The imp prompted._

_"I can think of a few rules for this 'contract'."_

_"Wait, you're cool with this, Maka?" Soul asked, a bit stunned._

_"Well, you heard him. By being in constant resonance, he hardly has any chance to get out on his own. If he wants to make a deal rather than forcing us to use him, I think that might be better."_

_"After everything he's done, though? Can we really trust him?"_

_"He helped you break out of Circe's spell, didn't he?"_

_"That was self preservation, more than anything."_

_"But he stepped back once it was done."_

_"True." Soul thought about that for a moment. He hadn't been in resonance with Maka at that time. It would have been entirely possible for him to have kept the madness flowing and done serious damage._

_"What about the conditions you mentioned?" The imp asked._

_"First, you'll never be allowed to release the madness without permission from both of us."Maka raised her index finger, counting the point._

_"I can deal with that."The imp nodded._

_Another point ticked off, accompanied by a severe glare. "Second, you will _never_ affect our daughter in _any_ way. Neither while I'm pregnant or once she's born."_

_The imp flinched at the fierceness in her words but nodded._

_"Third, if Soul is being wielded by any other meister, you will require both Soul's permission and that of the meister at the time. If they consent, you will not attempt to overwhelm them with madness."_

_"Of course."_

_"Finally, fourth, during a fight, if there are innocents at risk or if the enemy is no longer a threat, you will make sure no further harm will come to them."_

_"Agreed." The imp replied with a wide, toothy grin._

_Make turned to Soul. "Do those sound good to you?"_

_"In addition to our ability to resist the madness, I think that covers it." Soul agreed, rather impressed._

_"If we all agree, how about we seal this contract with a handshake?" The imp asked._

_"What, no foreboding-looking parchment to sign in blood?" Soul asked sarcastically._

_The imp looked at him somewhat incredulously. "We're in your mind. No lawyer will litigate that case. And it isn't like this deal gives or limits my abilities beyond what I agree to. This isn't some kid's movie."_

_"Right." Soul blushed a little at his own foolishness._

_With the agreement made, Soul and Maka shook hands in turn with the imp, who sighed once it was done. "I honestly thought that would be harder than it was."_

_"When you're up front about this stuff, it's easier on everyone. And I'm not a kid anymore. I won't fall for that ambiguous 'I'll help you if you let me.' crap again." Soul stuffed his hands in his pockets._

_"I am curious, though." Maka looked at the imp. "Why are you doing this now, of all times?"_

_The record skipped and the imp glared at it before turning back to the weapon and meister. "I just have a feeling that you'll be needing me before too long." He grinned in a way not too different from Patty's knowing grin._

_"The hell does that mean?" Soul asked._

_The imp raised his hands with a resigned smile. "Who knows?"_

* * *

><p>The front door slammed closed, startling both the weapon and meister awake. "I'm home!" Blair called as she took off her shoes.<p>

"Welcome back." Soul managed, trying to wake up.

"Anything going on with you two?" Blair asked as she walked into the kitchen and set down the grocery bag she was carrying.

The two lovers shared a look as the memory of their deal with the little devil came back to them as they woke up more. "Oh, not a lot. Just an afternoon nap." Soul answered.

The cat gave them a salacious grin. "Nya~ Just a nap, huh?"

Maka looked down at Soul and realized that while she was napping, she had moved around and was now laying on top of him. That in itself wasn't so bad. What made her squeak with embarrassment was that in her moving around, her pajama pants had slipped down somewhat, showing her behind to the whole world.

Soul took a moment to survey things as well. "You know, despite how this looks, it was just a nap. I mean, I'm still wearing my _pants_, Blair. Unless you know of a spell that makes _that_ possible, I-" He choked on his words as he saw her face turn luminous. "Oh God. You _do_, don't you?"

Maka looked back and forth between Soul and Blair for a moment, trying to figure out what Soul was talking about. Then it was her turn to blush.

Blair tried in vain to regain the ability to speak, but Soul just held up a hand. "Look, I'm not gonna judge. That's not cool." He gave her his toothy grin. "But that does explain how you've been taking being away from Wes for so long as well as you have..."

Honestly, if Blair didn't make a habit of teasing Maka and himself over their love life, he might feel a little guilty of the way Blair sort of shut down and fell to her knees, blushing and babbling, occasionally even getting the start of a sentence out that was a denial. And, truth be told, if he and Maka weren't together, and his brother wasn't an item with the woman before him, he might say that the whole episode was cute.

"I heard that." Maka grumbled in his ear as she pulled her pajama bottoms up, restoring her decency.

"Well, what can I say, I'm honest at least." Soul whispered back, earning him a resigned sigh.

"Oh come on, Blair. Are you going to act like a shrinking violet all night?" Make asked their roommate as she got off of Soul and stood up.

Blair looked up at Maka and sniffed. "N-no?" She ventured.

Maka smiled. "Good. Now, get up, and let's get away from this mean guy. I'll show you how to make that chicken pot pie like you asked." She helped Blair to her feet and led her off to the kitchen, pausing only to stick her tongue out at Soul.

"How did I wind up the bad guy here?" He asked himself. After a moment's contemplation he sighed and sat back down on the couch. _Dad always said you'd always be the bad guy, but this is just ridiculous. He really_ wasn't_ joking, huh. I mean, all I did was do what Blair does to us and make a joke about her boning my bro-... Oh. Oh _God. I just made a joke about my cat-witch roommate boning my brother!

Maka's laughter could be heard from the kitchen.

* * *

><p><strong>Week 17, Day 4<strong>

"Wake up, Rip Van Winkle!" Black Star shouted before jumping over Soul and onto the bed with a 'Yahoo!'. Just in case his friend was actually dead and hadn't noticed that such a big star was trying to wake him up, the ninja grabbed the weapon's shoulders and began to shake him violently.

"Ah fuck." Soul managed to grumble without biting his tongue as the ninja shook him.

"Oh good, you're up." Black Star said, dropping his friend and hopping off the bed like nothing unusual had just happened.

"You know," soul growled, one red eye glaring out from underneath an errant pillow. "Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean you can jump on me like a trampoline at whatever god-awful hour it is."

"Dude, it's like one in the afternoon. 'Sides, Maka was the one who told me to wake you up. She was non-specific as to how." The ninja grinned and laced his fingers behind his head.

"So you thought jumping into bed on top of someone who can turn into a freaking _scythe_ that just _happens_ to be working his way through a mild case of PTSD was... _a good idea_?" Liz asked in an amused deadpan from the doorway. "Pretty sure being a big star doesn't stop you from getting impaled. Jus' sayin'."

The implications of his ill-advised morning greeting took a moment to settle in for Black Star. "Oh..."

Soul sat up in bed and stretched with a massive yawn, careful to keep his groin covered. "That and I'm totally naked right now."

Liz and Black Star both stopped and stared for a moment. Liz turned and walked away without another word while the ninja stammered in confusion and embarrassment.

"Just do something like sing 'I'm Henry VIII, I Am' in that off-key way you do. That'll wake me up good and fast. Now get out of the room unless you want to pay for the show, because I need to get dressed and it's _not_ cool to show up to breakfast with company naked."

Black Star turned and walked out of the room, still trying to form words to adequately express himself. As soon as he closed the door, Soul heard Patty shout "Black Star likes being in bed with other men!"

With a long-suffering sigh, Soul stood from the bed. "Some people get alarm clocks. I apparently get a ninja with a god complex. Unlike the alarm, you can't snooze a ninja attack."

"Ah, the nudist king graces us with his clothed presence." Kid observed as Soul entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table.

"Oh ha ha. I don't go into your home, sick a ninja on you as you sleep and then mock your choice of sleepwear." Soul said defensively. Kid's blank stare made him stop and reconsider. "Oh, right... I forgot about the raspberry grenadine thing."

"Took him weeks to find and clean all the drops of it, too." Liz said with a nostalgic smile.

"And thus I'm justified in _not_ reminding Black Star about whom he was going to jump on, thereby saving you from your ordeal." Kid sipped his tea with a satisfied smirk.

Soul walked over to the fridge where he pulled out a mondo-sized energy drink and popped it open. "So, remind me again why everyone is here today? I mean, good to have friends around and all, but Black Star just tried to stomp my nuts into custard and I'm confused." Soul took a long pull from the can.

"We're going to the arcade!" Patty supplied at her usual ear-damaging volume.

"Oh yeah." The white-haired scythe remembered now. It was the last day before classes resumed from Thanksgiving Break and the group had decided to spend the day at an arcade/laser tag place a few blocks from their apartment.

"I'm gonna play laser tag the whole time and win every round!" Black Star declared, finally having recovered from his near misadventure. "I will _own_ that arena and no one can possibly stop me!"

"Except the management." Liz said.

"What?" The ninja asked, confused.

"Your disregard for the rules got all of us kicked out the last five times we've gone." Kid answered.

"And the owner said if he had to kick us out again, he'd ban you. For life." Tsubaki added with a hint of concern in her voice.

"Pah! So what? It's not like they can keep me out! It's a free country, isn't it?"

"And this is the part where I remind you about the time you tried to get us into that casino in Las Vegas." Soul sighed. "They may not have an MMA-level bouncer, but cops have stun guns."

"And mace." Kid added.

"And batons to break your knees with!" Patty got some stares, mostly because she made it sound like that was the _fun_ part of getting arrested.

With a heavy sigh the ninja sat back down in his seat. "All right. Fine. I'll play by the stupid rules."

"Just think of it as a handicap." Tsubaki told him. "It'll make your victory that much more impressive because you weren't using your full strength or abilities."

_That_ appealed to Black Star. "Oh yeah! you're right, Tsubaki! When people see how awesome I am _without_ using my ninja skills, they'll be even _more_ impressed with me! I'll become god of the laser tag arena! And then the arcade! _And then the whole freakin' world!_"

Soul ignored his friend's insane laughter and posing and took a moment to appreciate just how well Tsubaki knew how to direct her partner's energy. She'd managed to get him to do what he had just said he wouldn't by appealing to his ego. There were a few lessons to be learned there.

"Hey, where's Maka, anyways?" Soul asked after a moment.

"She said something about shopping and that we should just let ourselves in." Liz answered.

"Shopping? We just did grocery shopping..." Still waking up, Soul just now began to notice that the kitchen wasn't like it had been when he and Maka had gone to sleep last night.

Wrappers. Wrappers and boxes freaking everywhere. Two frozen pizza boxes sad forgotten on the counter. Not far away lay a box his favorite kind of cracker, the plastic tubes that had once held crispy, salty goodness lay strewn about. An empty chip bag was half wadded up on the counter... right next to an empty ice cream carton. Numerous other things littered the counter or had escaped the garbage can and lay nearby on the floor.

"Oh no. It's begun."

"What are you talking about?" Kid asked, then looked around the room and noted the mess. His eye twitched.

"Maka's through the first trimester. Right around now is when morning sickness slows or stops and then her appetite will kick into overdrive. I think it's started." Soul answered, dread audible in his voice.

"So... Maka ate everything in the house?" Black Star asked, incredulous. "She eats like a rabbit; just nibbles on things that are good for you and boring."

"And she hasn't been eating a whole lot because she was getting... sick." Tsubaki added, trying to put things delicately.

"So now-" Soul was cut off by a loud banging on the door.

"Soul! Help me carry all this food inside!" Maka shouted from outside the apartment.

"Duty calls." Soul grumbled as he stood up and put on a pair of flip-flops and opened the door for Maka. "Woah."

"Yes, yes, it's a feat of modern engineering and it's goddamned heavy, now let me in!"

Soul stood aside as Maka rushed into the apartment carrying more groceries than he thought she would have been able to safely lift. Her arms held bag after bag filled with snack foods of all kinds.

"Jesus, Maka, did you leave anything for everyone e- BAGH!" A dull thud reached Soul's ears along with the sound of crinkling plastic bags being set on the counter.

Maka stuck her head around the corner, smiling sweetly at him. "That was just the light stuff. Could you go get everything else from the car for me while I put this all way?"

"Sure." Soul replied neutrally as he headed out the door, grabbing the extra set of keys as he went.

Once he was down the stairs, Soul started wondering if he should have asked Kid of dragged Black Star out to help him. With how much Maka had been carrying, "everything else" was starting to sound downright ominous. He shook his head and approached the car, reached for the key fob, popped the trunk and began chastising himself. There was no way that Maka had bought that much-.

The keys slipped from Soul's hand. "Holy. Fucking. Shit."

* * *

><p>"Argh! Soul! I'm hit! Help me!"<p>

Soul heard Black Star's desperate calls for help, but he couldn't see him through the smoke. The darkness filled with fog and the occasional flickering light ruined any night vision that he may have once had. He began fumbling along the dark passageway, moving towards where he'd last seen his friend, listening for his voice. The noise was incredible; shouts and screams from the others, the sounds of distant weapons firing and meeting their targets and the blaring noise coming from the blown-out PA system made it nearly impossible to figure out where Black Star was.

"I'm coming for you! Where are you?!" Soul shouted as he limped through the labyrinth of passages.

"I'm over here!"

There! Through the smoke and darkness, Soul saw Black Star sitting propped against a wall. He ran to his downed comrade, placing a hand on his shoulder and scanning their surroundings, looking for enemies. He saw several enemies laying on the floor nearby, some still moving and reaching for their weapons.

"How are you? Can you move?" Soul asked quickly, checking his friend for visible damage.

Black Star coughed. "Not good, man. I don't think I can move. I can't feel my legs!"

"Just hold on! I'll get you out of here!" Soul dropped his weapon and began to try and lift his ally off the floor.

"Don't. Just leave me, Soul! I'll only slow you down. I'll cover you, though. Stop as many of them as I can."

"Come on, dude! There's not many of us left! I need your help with the mission!"

"I'm done for. Go on without me!"

Soul placed both hands on Black Star's shoulders and looked into his eyes, fighting back a feeling of hopelessness. "_No_! I am _not_ leaving you behind! We came her together, and we're leaving here together. No matter what!"

The ninja smiled at his friend. "You, Soul Evans, are the best friend I could ever have. Let's _do_ this!"

"Take this. I want you to cover us both." Soul handed his weapon to Black Star. With a loud grunt, he lifted Black Star onto his back and began walking down one of the hallways towards their objective.

"Two on the left!" Soul called as he ran past an intersection guarded by two enemies. Black Star expertly hit the targets, dropping them. "Good shot! Watch it! Another on the left!"

"Got 'im!" Black Star crowed. "We are _unbeatable_!"

The hallway they were following opened up onto a large open room. On the far end, there was a large red flag on a dais in the open flanked by a two story fortification.

"We made it." Soul breathed.

"And that's how you do it!" Black Star shouted triumphantly.

And then the entire enemy team rose up from behind their defenses.

"Son of a-" Soul muttered.

Dozens of red lasers crossed the darkened, smoke-filled room, lancing out from the defenders to their targets. Their aim was poor, but volume more than made up for their shortcomings.

Soul felt the sudden loss of mobility as he was hit over a hundred times. Blinding red light filled his vision as he began to fall to the ground. Black Star, to his credit valiantly fired his weapons until he too was taken down and his weapons were silenced.

The blasting sound that was once electronica of some sort playing over the speakers gave way to a loud klaxon. "Attention, the game is now over. Victory belongs to the red team! Special congratulations to 'Razor Mackam' for being red team MVP! Your suits will now unlock. Please make your way to the entrance and replace your gear on the racks. The next game will be in ten minutes."[3]

Black Star smiled and let his arms drop to his sides as his suit was remotely unfrozen. "Well, that was dramatic. Made us both big stars, huh, Soul?"

"Yes," Soul answered sarcastically, his voice muffled. "I always wanted to be a meat shield/steed for a wounded ninja as we go down in a blaze of glory. Now, would you kindly get off of me so I can breathe?"

"Oh, sorry." The ninja rose off of his steed's back. "Whiner. It was cool and you know it."

Soul slowly stood, favoring one leg. "Yeah, it was a bit. Probably shouldn't have done that after I fell on the stairs." He took his weapon from Black Star as they began walking towards the entrance of the arena.

"Still not sure how you managed to fit _all_ of that in your place."

The death scythe smiled and began to quietly sing. "I am the man who arranges the blocks that descend upon me from up above..."

"Aaand now that song is going to be in my head all day. Thanks."

"You used me as a horse."

"Fair enough."

"Ah, there you two are." Kid greeted the duo as they emerged from the darkened ready room into the bright arcade. "How'd it go?"

"We lost, but we were the last two on our team." Soul replied casually.

"Soul carried me to our glorious last stand, in front of the entire enemy team!" Black Star elaborated.

"Why does that sound like its against the rules?" Liz asked, walking up to the trio.

Black Star began to say something, but his mouth snapped shut when a deep voice rose from behind him. "Because it is." The owner of the voice was a tall, muscular man with a shaved head. His name tag red "Danger Dan's Arcade: Dan".

"So you must be the owner." Soul gulped, looking up at the man.

"Can't recall your name, but yes. I _do_ remember Black Star here." Dan turned to glare at Black Star. "I remember telling you if you have any problems with you, that you'd be out of here for life."

Tsubaki practically materialized next to her partner. "I'm terribly sorry! I promise that we'll-"

Dan silenced her by raising a hand. "You played ten games this afternoon, kid. I only saw you break one rule the entire time. Compared to how you normally are, using ninja arts, actually striking opponents and literally jumping on the walls, I'd say you've been a saint."

The ninja breathed a sigh of relief. "But, that doesn't mean I'm giving you a break. You're done for the rest of the day. Given how we've only got one more game tonight, that's a slap on the wrist. Keep up the good behavior."

Tsubaki bowed deeply to the man, placing a hand on the back of her partner's head and forcing him to do the same. "Thank you very much, sir!"

Dan chuckled at the overly polite display. "Just make sure that your friend keeps at it." He turned to Soul. "And you... man, your lady is scary." He walked away without another word.

Soul stared after him. "What did I miss?" He asked with trepidation.

"Well, Maka has been busy displaying some of her... talents." Kid answered. "I'd probably just better show you."

Soul followed Kid to one end of the arcade where a large number of people were gathered, cheering every now and then. The young reaper parted the crowd enough to let himself and Soul through. At the heart of the crowd, Soul saw Maka... and about thirty thousand game tickets.

She was playing one of the newest games the arcade had; some new shooter that had the player stand on a platform and hold a rather realistic analogue of an assault rifle. A set of cameras arrayed around the platform read the player's movements and translated them to their avatar inside the game.

The death scythe's jaw fell open as he watched his normally shy and calm girlfriend pop out of cover, dump an entire magazine into five enemies, drop back into cover, act out reloading the weapon and then mime pulling a grenade from her vest, pull the pin, pop the spoon and throw it. In the space of 5 seconds, she had ended seven simulated enemies and cleared the stage. The tickets were positively flowing out of the machine.

The crowd cheered, causing the meister to hoist her weapon over her head in victory and turn to face the audience. When she saw that her weapon was present, she ran off the platform and pulled him into a huge hug, apparently forgetting that she was holding a simulated weapon in one hand still.

"This is so much fun, Soul! Why have I never done this before?" Maka shouted over the crowd.

"You are fucking awesome at this!" Soul shouted back.

"I have no idea what I'm going to use the tickets on!" She looked back over her winnings and saw the next round about to start. "Gotta go!" She kissed his cheek and ran back to the platform.

Soul could only watch in amazement as Maka started the next stage and immediately began dealing out carnage like it was a tray full of free samples. He had to admit, she was some special kind of awesome.

* * *

><p>"You know, I get that you're pregnant and you shouldn't be doing heavy lifting and all that, but why am <em>I<em> the one who has to carry everything? First it was groceries, then it was Black Star, now it's Teddy-Zilla! I mean, will this thing even _fit_ in the front door?" Soul asked from somewhere underneath the massive teddy bear that he was carrying.

"And after I went through all the trouble of winning it for you too..." Maka pouted. "See if I do anything nice for you again." She spun, walking backwards, and smiled at the encumbered weapon.

Soul simply sighed, ceding the point. "Still, hell of a good day, overall."

* * *

><p>"This place has had a hell of a bad day." Spirit grumbled to himself as he stood in the center of an intersection of what had once been a small town. He squinted into the gathering darkness, hoping in vain to see something, anything that would help.<p>

Kami approached him from behind, stepping over a tree root a foot in diameter that had grown _up_ through the road. "Nothing." She sighed. "Just more of these trees everywhere I looked. Not even a body or parts of one."

Spirit made a _tch_ noise. "This town had three thousand people living here. No one escaped, no one is hiding and no bodies around. Just a ton of trees. it doesn't make any sense."

Kami rested a hand on his shoulder. "You know who could have done this."

Spirit grunted. "Witches usually leave craters, not forests. There's nothing even special about these trees, either. Same as the kind that grow around here naturally."

"And if this was a witch, she's now three thousand souls closer to whatever her goal is." Kami reminded him.

"Yeah, I know."

The radio clipped to Spirit's belt crackled. "Spirit, Kami. I've found something." Stein reported.

Kami grabbed the radio. "What have you got?"

"Someone is either seriously in love with math and/or puns or we have a problem." Stein answered.

"What, is that?" Marie wondered.

"That," Stein sighed. "Is a square root symbol that has been formed out of tree roots. In other words, we have a clue to who's behind this mess.."

* * *

><p><strong>[1]: 10 to 15 degrees for you weirdos called "the rest of the world except China and some other places". Also, those temperature estimates are a crapshoot. Don't kill me if you're from Nevada, I live in Minnesota.<strong>

**[2]: Rather than risk starting a war over sports teams, I figured I'd just make a Reaper-themed sports team and call it good. An obol is a silver coin from ancient Greece, the kind placed on the eyes of the dead as payment to Charon to ferry dead across the river Styx.**

**[3]: Yeah, I couldn't help myself with the **_**Ender's Game**_** reference, even if it was a lawyer-friendly spoonerism. And while there is the whole 'uniform freezing up' thing in **_**Ender's**__**Game**_**, I first read about it in **_**Halo: Ghosts of Onyx**_** the instructors used stun rounds that were a topical anesthetic that caused the fibers in their uniforms to harden in place, leaving them frozen. And honestly, that probably came from **_**Ender's Game**_** too. Funny, that. Anyways, I think it would make laser tag hella fun.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the 22nd chapter of **_**Nine to Life**_**. And only a year and 4 months later than it ever should have been! Wow, I'm like a professional or something with how regular my releases are.**

**So, since it's been so damned long since we last had some talky-time, I'll bring you up to speed on what's happened in my life: I stopped taking adderall, I bought a Camaro and became poor, I became an uncle/godfather, I wrestled with the deepest and longest bout of depression of my life, won a battle with suicidal thoughts, got back on adderall, crawled my way out of the deepest bout of depression of my life, found the motivation to resume writing and reconnected with several of my best friends to play games and make my life more bearable.**

**So, that's it in a nutshell. Does that excuse my lateness? No. Not at all. I do feel bad about that, but at some point I have to admit that getting myself back to acting like a human being was worth the cost in time. And, like I tried to indicate, I'm not having those problems currently, so don't worry about this story never finishing.**

**But yeah, took me a bit to get back into the swing of things. This kinda became a lot more than I had initially wanted, which was just a little blip to make it apparent that I'm a) not dead and b) coming back. Then I had the idea for the omake around the time I was writing the second day of all this and it grew from there.**

**I kinda thought up the new villian on a lark. Their identity is going to be a bit of a maze of different meanings and I'm still not entirely clear on just **_**what**_** their power is. The fact that two death scythes and two legendary meisters were on the scene should tell you something. *evil laughter***

**Anywho, you've read, now review.**

**And thanks for not giving up on me, guys. That means a hell of a lot.**


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